The Lion and the Wolf
by SOSwalt
Summary: AU: Harry holds a secret that is just too dangerous to share, but even hiding becomes an issue when you have nosey Gryffindors who are determined to figure it out and a Boy-Who-Lived who is determined to be his friend. But Harry isn't the only danger that lies within the walls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
1. Chapter 1

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter One**

 **Lions and Badgers, Oh My**

 _September 1_ _st_ _, 1991_

 _Sunday_

Nervousness. That was what he felt. All it could be was just nerves. This would be the first time away from his Uncle. After years with him, today was the day that he would finally go out into the world alone. Sure, it was in a controlled environment, but it was all new to him. How could he not be consumed by his nerves?

At least, that was the train of thought that the boy had. He wasn't such an oddity of a boy, though it did seem that his hair was completely unmanageable. The black color was rich and dark, but in the light it had a strange reddish hue to it that seemed out of place. But compared to the rest of the residents on the train, he just seemed to be an average little boy with average features, nothing was overly striking about him to the point he would have been perfectly described as forgettable.

That was until you got to the eyes. They were a brilliant shade of green that would easily put a forest to shame in its depth and vibrancy of color. But the boy knew that it was only temporary. His uncle told him so. Now that he was eleven, he would be going through some peculiar changes. Thanks to his age, he would be able to keep his secret and just hide the changes under the guise of sickness and puberty. But he knew that _he_ was just under the surface. He could hear him, feel him. He knew him, and knew that he was always waiting in the shadows.

It was when _he_ would make an appearance, his eyes would change. In the blink of an eye, his eyes changed from their deep green to a glowing amber. It was the only warning someone would have to know they were no longer dealing with the boy, but with _him_.

His uncle was the same way. He was told from a very young age exactly who, and what, his uncle was. What it was that lay beneath the surface of skin and conscience. He was told stories that before he finally accepted the life he had, the second skin would be kept under control but since the boy had come into his life, he had to accept it. For the boy's sake, since the boy would also grow to know. His uncle described it similarly to having a second personality, which the muggles would have diagnosed as dissociative identity disorder or schizophrenia. But it wasn't the same. He was the same person, he would never lose complete control, but he was like having a different side of himself. The opposite sides of coin, if one had to put a name on it.

His Uncle used to fight it when he was younger, trying to stave off the underlying beast with potions and drugs. But when the boy was orphaned, he had to change that. He passed along his sickness and now had to deal with the consequences. But as the years passed, they learned new things that were never recorded in books. They were not feral unless they denied the beast. Deny the beast and the beast would grow angry. Accept it, and you would have control at all times even when the beast was at its strongest. His uncle eventually figured this out and gave the boy a good piece of advice. "If you deny who you are, you will only destroy yourself. Accept it, and you shall live in peace."

But it had to be kept secret, at least for now. Wizards were never really warm to the idea of his kind. If the wrong person found out, he would be instantly arrested and thrown away. It was the law. He had never registered and neither did his uncle. Once an unregistered was found, depending on the length of time and age they had been unregistered, they could face a heavy financial penalty or locked away for good under the guise that they were "a danger to society". It was a load of trash, but it was the current reality in the wizarding world.

The boy lucked out, because his uncle knew the Headmaster to his new school. The old teacher had once given provision for his uncle, and was now doing the same. Of course the Headmaster needed to know, or else someone could possibly find out, or worse, get hurt. But the boy had learned to be careful. He needed to be. He had been taught for too many years and had played the mask of innocence for far too long. But his first test wasn't too far away.

He was currently siting in an empty compartment of a scarlet red train on the way to school, a wizarding school. He had been brought up in the muggle world, though his uncle made sure he received an adequate teaching on the going-ons of the magical world. He wasn't ignorant of what was there, he was just uncomfortable with it. He was too shy, too withdrawn to be able to handle leaving everything he knew behind for the next year. Sure, he could go and see his uncle on holidays, but he was virtually going alone.

He was staring out the window, watching a rowdy bunch of red heads pile giving their good-byes to whom could only be their parents. It was a bit loud outside with all the hustle and bustle of the crowded train station, but he had always been really good at hearing what he wanted to. It was one of his natural _gifts_. He only caught the tail end of the excitement from two twins saying something about "…even has the scar! Wonder if he remembers You-know-who". The mother became very stern, told the boys off, and then pushed them all to get on the train as the final whistle blew.

The boy just sighed, and turned away from the window. This was going to be a long year, and he knew it was most definitely be lonely. It had to be, or else someone might catch on. But his thoughts of loneliness were quickly shattered at the compartment door was quickly thrown open. It seemed the twins from the large group of red heads and a boy of similar age but ebony skin had decided that this would be their new place to ride to school. The boy just scooted closer to the window and hoped that they wouldn't notice him in all the excitement.

"Tell you what Lee. He really is the Boy-who-lived. Has the scar right there on his forehead." The first twin said.

"Right-o brother," The second twin spoke. "He is currently sitting with our ickle brother Ronnie, at the back of the train. Weird though, that he was alone. No friends or nothing."

"Come off it George," the first twin responded. "You know that he was hidden away from the public. Had to keep him safe, didn't they?"

"I suppose that's right Fred. Well, good on him. Maybe he'll be a lion, and we can take him under our wing and turn him into a proper prankster."

"Um… Fred? George?"

"Yes Lee?" the twins responded in sync like they practiced it, which fascinated the small green eyed boy.

The dark skinned friend just laughed at their antics, but continued on. "While it's just atrociously interesting to listen to you gab on about some firstie, you have failed to notice that we have our very own firstie right here with us."

The twin's eyebrows shot up and looked over in the direction that Lee was pointing, near the window. They had completely overlooked the small dark haired boy when they came in. It was as if he hadn't existed at all in the first place.

"Well, well, well. I suppose you are right Lee. How rude of us to ignore our afternoon company. I'm Gred Weasley"

"And I'm Forge Weasley. And that over there is Lee Jordan."

Lee just laughed again. "Ignore them. It's just George and Fred." He said. "They are great pranksters and will do anything for a laugh."

The boy just nodded as he listened, uncomfortable with the attention he was given from the older students.

"Say, we have given you our names, who are you?"

"Oh, s-sorry. I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

"I don't recognize the name. You a muggleborn?"

Harry immediately got defensive about it, and the older boys could sense the tension right away.

"I don't mean to offend you. Were aren't some pure blood fanatics, just curious. Seeing if you needed any help navigating this big wide world we live in."

"N-no. I am half-blood. My Dad was a wizard and my mum was a witch."

"Was?" George caught.

"Um, yeah. They were murdered during the last war."

"You mean," Lee interrupted, "you are the son of the late great James and Lily Potter? I didn't even know they had a kid."

"Y-yeah. They went into hiding before I was born. I guess it just wasn't public knowledge."

"Wow. That's so cool," Fred said. "It's like you are this great wartime secret. That's even cooler than being the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Definitely," his twin added.

"Well Harrykins, consider yourself officially Weasley adopted. I think my brother will agree that instead of making the famous kid our protégé, you will be even better. As long as you don't end up in Slytherin of course."

"Actually Fred, we will do it especially if he is a slimy snake. At that point we will have an in!"

"Too right brother, too right."

"So what do you say Harry?" The boys said, again synchronizing their words as if practiced.

"I-I don't know. I'm n-not very much fun."

"Ah, look at him. All nervous and such. Such a twitchy little thing. No worries Harry. Your permission is just a formality. We'll help you along so you will have the best first year ever."

While Harry was still really uncomfortable with the attention, especially if he wanted to stay hidden, he couldn't help that he felt extremely relieved that someone wanted to possibly be friends. Though this was a weird way of doing things. He got so lost in that feeling that he almost missed the excitement in George's voice.

"Wicked Harry. Do that again!"

"Huh?" harry said, slightly confused.

"Your eyes. They went from that green to something completely different and then back. I almost missed it but it was super cool. Do it again!"

"I-I d-d-don't know what you're talking about…"

"Hmmm. Must have been a trick of the lights then. Oh well."

Harry couldn't believe that he got away with, but from the looks that the three older boys had, he really doubted they would let it drop. This was why he didn't get close. _He_ wanted to get out so badly that if Harry didn't pay attention, he would let him loose. He just feel silent, ignored the boys, and stared out the window for the rest of the trip.

He had only been away from his uncle for an hour, and already he had already slipped.

He wasn't sure how he was going to keep it secret. How could one even do that?

How does one keep being a werewolf a secret?

* * *

Harry was relieved to finally have gotten off of the train. While the older boys kept trying to include him in conversation, he would just shake his head and stay quiet. He had been trying to deal hiding all over again. It went against everything his uncle taught him over the last few years, before telling him to hide his woflishness again.

His uncle realized one day that if one were to embrace their inner wolf, be proud of it and accept it, they wouldn't be so dangerous. Sure, they were born killing machines, but the viciousness of a werewolf would only reflect the viciousness of the man. Harry knew his wolf wasn't one who enjoyed fights, but was more of a protector and wanted to find a pack to project. Harry was loyal, so his wolf was loyal. He was kind, so his wolf was kind. But where Harry was passive and didn't want the attention, his wolf was strong and preened under recognition. Harry would be the one to help seek redemption for anyone, but the wolf was one who wasn't afraid to kill for the sake of his pack, whoever that ended up being.

But when one accepted the wolf, it gave it a modicum of control outside the full moon as it gave a similar amount of control away during the moon. It was a balance that helped werewolves, and was better suited to reducing the danger of werewolf attacks than the Wolfsbane Potion. In the end, that potion just made everything worse, and destroyed the balance. Miss a month, and untold horrors would result. Harry knew this, but had to find the balance in control so that he could stay hidden, which was not easy to convince the wolf of since _he_ liked the attention. This was going to be difficult.

 _If you make it difficult Harry, than it will be. But compromise with me, and all will be well._

Harry shook his head. This was not the time to have a conversation with the wolf.

 _I'm not just the wolf, I am you…. We can have a better balance if you just accept that._

Harry ignored the thoughts. He pushed through the crowds, hearing a giant of a man calling out to the first year students.

 _You are right, this is not the time or the place… But we will chat Harry… Ignoring me will only serve to hurt you and hurt others…_

Fear gripped Harry. He didn't want harm to come to anyone, especially if they were nice like the Weasley's. He resolved to talk to the wolf later before bed, which the wolf just grinned with appreciation. But focusing on his surroundings, Harry found himself with a bunch of other first years, standing around on a dock with a bunch of boats tied up.

"A'right. Everyone in. No more than four to a boat." The half giant told them.

The braver ones, or maybe the ones who were just more excited, got in first, claiming boats for themselves. Harry reluctantly climbed into a boat after a posh looking blonde kid, and his two bookends of a friend. He sat down, only for the blonde to speak up with a sneer.

"No mudbloods aloud. You should mind your betters, and find somewhere else to sit."

Harry just raised an eyebrow, "Awfully presumptuous of you to think you know my blood status, which you are wrong. Interesting. But maybe you're right and I will find another boat. Find myself in worthy company and worth my time."

It wasn't until he climbed into a new boat, with a bushy haired girl and an Irish bloke, that Harry realized he didn't say that. That wasn't him at all. THAT was the wolf. He shuddered, and hoped that it was dark enough to hide his eye change. The blonde was someone who most definitely was not to be trusted with the little things, let alone something as big as his condition.

The girl on the boat immediately tried to start a conversation, something about being a "Granger" and her parent's being dentists. It was difficult to keep up with the girl as she just spewed as much information as she could. The other boy introduced himself as Seamus Finnegan, though he couldn't say much as the girl kept on going which was fine. It kept Harry from introducing himself, and definitely from making a fool of himself any further than he had already today.

Luckily though, the boat ride was rather short, and the girl didn't talk much as she was overwhelmed by the sight Hogwarts when they came around a bend in the lake. The castle was gorgeous as it was lit up from the inside, giving it a strange shape against the darkness of the sky. But even then it was still captivating. This was going to be their new home for the next seven years.

They all landed on shore without much fanfare, and the giant man that was leading brought them to a large entrance hall after a brisk walk across the grounds. On the left hand side of the Hall was a massive set of doors, closed it seemed but there was a large continual roar coming from within. Maybe, Harry thought, this was where all the rest of the students were. Possibly a dining hall of sorts? Maybe an auditorium?

Hagrid, which was the man's name he found out later, led them to a smaller door just between the large staircase and large doors that were hiding the rest of the student body. Hagrid knocked twice, only to find a stern looking woman, with a painfully tight bun and emerald green robes, opening the doors. She was introduced as Professor Minerva McGonagall, teacher of Transfiguration, Deputy Headmistress, and Head of Gryffindor House. She led them in and given the rundown of how the school worked. There were four different houses, into which they were to be sorted, that would be like their families for the next seven years. It was a permanent sorting, so they would need to learn to get along with their dorm mates no matter who they were or where they came from. Everything in the school, except for personal grades, revolved around these houses. Quidditch, classes, rules, and pretty much everything else. Harry knew all of this, talking with his uncle, so he tuned it out.

He observed all of the students around him, trying to figure out if anyone was going to be worth knowing. He saw a boy who looked a lot like the twins, as he was tall and had the flaming red hair. This must have been "Ronnie", though if the twins were prone to call him Harrykins, he doubted Ronnie was the boy's real name or even his nickname. He was standing next to a slightly chubby, though not overly so, sandy blonde haired boy. He had a great big smile on his face as "Ronnie" whispered something in his ear. Harry, despite his enhanced hearing, didn't care enough to listen closely. This boy, if what the twins were saying was true about their brother's sitting arrangements on the train, was going to be the Boy-who-lived.

Not that Harry cared. His uncle explained things about the other boy off hand to help explain why his own parent's had been murdered, but there was never much detail other than he was able to stop Voldemort in some mysterious way as a baby. But he was never the focus, and Harry always thought that if he was a baby at the time, he surely wasn't going to be important now. If he was going to interact with him, it would be for him, not because of some mystery happening ten years ago. But if he was famous, he doubted he would get the chance to talk. Maybe it was better that way.

He was stirred from his thoughts as the stern professor led them through a different door than they came through, and came into a grand dining hall. There were four long tables filled with all sorts of students, though each one had banners over them, signaling to which house they belonged to. Harry was a bit intimidated by the number of students looking at him. Well, rationally, they were not looking at him but rather in his general direction since he was in the middle of a line of first years.

They were brought to the front, standing towards what could only be assumed as the staff table, as no students could be found sitting there. Professor McGonagall grabbed a stool and a very ratty old hat, placing them before an old man with brightly colored robes and an unnecessarily long white beard. The whole dining hall went silent, as though they were expecting something to happen, causing Harry to shuffle a little bit. A small yelp came out of the girl next to him, a small little Indian girl he thought, which in turn spooked him even further. This was of course at the fault of the hat, which came to life and started singing.

When the hat finished its lengthy tune about house values, Professor McGonagall directed them to come up when their name was called.

The first person he recognized was Finnegan, the Irish boy from the boat, who became a Gryffindor. He was followed by Granger, whose name ended up being Hermione, who also became a Gryffindor. When they reached a new name, Longbottom, the whole hall started buzzing.

"Is that him?"

"I think it is! It's the Boy-who-lived"

"I can't believe he is here."

The boy in question, a one Neville Longbottom, went up to the stool with a slight hesitation. Harry was correct in his assumption earlier in that the chubby blonde was who he thought he was. This particular time, the hat sat for some time until finally calling out…

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The hall exploded. The houses, minus the Slytherin house, all joined in the thunderous clapping and the twins could be heard singing, "We got Neville, We got Neville."

Longbottom looked relieved as he took his seat with the lions, and was replaced on the stool by the nasty blonde from the boat. Draco Malfoy was his name, and even before the hat touched his head Slytherin was proclaimed. It wasn't until after the Patil twins finished being sorted that Harry finally was called.

"Potter, Harry."

Unlike the whispers for Neville Longbottom, the hall was silent. The boy took a breath and calmly walked towards the hat. It was placed on his head as soon as he sat down.

" _Ah, hello Mr. Potter. Interesting, there is two of you here. That will make this most difficult."_

Harry started to panic. While he knew that the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was allowing him to come to school, the hat knowing is completely different.

" _Calm down Mr. Potter. Your secret is safe with me, as was Mr. Lupin's. No need to worry."_

 _Listen to the hat Harry,_ the wolf responded trying to settle the boy down. _It's going to be all right. Just breathe…_

" _Thank you, now let's get this going. You are very brave, but not reckless about it. You are smart, but do not crave knowledge for its own sake. You are cunning, but have no ambition. You are loyal and hardworking, but you do not trust easily. This is a very interesting puzzle Mr. Potter. You are a good mix of the four houses, but not a perfect fit for any. This is good. You will do well anywhere, but I think you need a neutral ground with no expectations for you to flourish to be YOU above all else. Better be…._

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff house clapped loudly, though Harry smiled when he heard the Weasley twins groan about "losing Potter". He made his way down to the table and sat down with the other freshly sorted first years to watch the rest of the sorting but with little interest. He was too consumed by what the Hat said. Was this truly a neutral ground where he could just be Harry? Could be a place where he could be accepted?

Food appeared before him once the sorting ending, and the hall exploded with chatter. New students introducing themselves, old ones catching up. The same was happening around Harry, as each student introduced themselves. There was Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernest or Ernie Macmillan, Megan Jones, Wayne Hopkins, and Harry last but not least. Harry let them all talk about themselves, and stayed out of the spot light. Right before they could interrogate the small werewolf, Dumbledore stood up, asking for their attention.

He gave out several announcements, such as forbidden items and an even more forbidden forest. But the peculiar part was about an entire corridor of the castle being forbidden. How could a school be a place to have an issue where a corridor would led to a painful death? Uncle Remus needed to know about this as soon as possible. It was just too strange.

But he was released to the dorms, after following the prefects, to do to bed before he could voice any concern. He was led out towards a small hallway next to the dining hall, which he found out was just called the Great Hall, and down a set of stairs. At the far end of the next hall was a rather large painting of fruit and across from that a dark alcove where some barrels were neatly stacked.

Harry watched intently when the prefect showed them all the combination of taps on the various barrels they needed to use to get into the Hufflepuff Common Room. The prefect also stressed the importance of timing and cadence, saying that the rhythm needed to be close to perfect or else they would face the consequences. Since it was not a password that could change like the other houses, there were extra security measures that would prohibit non-Hufflepuff students to get in.

Once inside, they were brought into a cozy room that instantly reminded Harry of a hobbit hole from the old books his uncle used to read to him. The room was earthy, light browns in the wood supports, various potted plants all around the common rom, and black and yellow furniture. When Harry first saw the combination of colors for his house back in the Great Hall he was mildly concerned but now that he saw it all work together, it didn't seem as garish as first supposed.

There in the middle of the room stood a stumpy little witch, grey hairs flying every which way, and a bit of dirt on her apron. She had a friendly smile that could calm the nerves of any student, and she had aura of trustfulness that had been known to bring in students who were in need of some help. Once all the students came in and took in the room, she finally addressed the first years.

"Welcome everyone. My name is Professor Pamona Sprout, teacher of Herbology here at Hogwarts, and Head of Hufflepuff House. I am excited to see you here in my house, and am delighted to see what the future holds for each and every single one of you."

"A few things you should be aware of. First, as your Head of House, I am always open to you outside of classroom hours. Should you need anything from tutoring to a listening friend, I am available to you all. Secondly, since this is your first year I shall be setting up monthly meetings with you individually for the first semester to help you digest this transition. This will be mandatory, but come January until the end of your school career, you are free to schedule such meetings on a continuing basis. Third, as soon as I am done, you shall be escorted to your various rooms. Earlier this year we had to remodel the dorms, and as such you are going to be getting a single room to house yourself and one roommate versus the previous sharing of one room for all of your year. You have been randomly assigned a roommate but they can be switched at any time upon approval."

"Lastly, during your stay here you shall be a representative of Hufflepuff House. That comes with a few expectations. Our values are hard work, patience, tolerance, loyalty, dedication, and most of all kindness. I encourage you all to find ways in which you personally embody these things. The only thing I one hundred percent do not approve of is bullying. If you are bullied at all, let me know immediately. If I find that someone here is a bully, I will find retribution. Our house already has an unfair reputation of being push overs in the same way that Slytherin has the unfair reputation of being evil. This is cause for us to be unified on all fronts, and confrontations and corrections should be done in private. Respect one another, for from here on out, we are family."

"Now, come collect your room assignments, and off to bed with you. I'm sure you have all had a long day."

They proceeded forward to be given their room assignments and make their way into the dorm rooms. Harry found himself paired up with Wayne Hopkins, who from dinner was shown to be quiet and reserved much like Harry was. Personally, Harry was glad that he got Wayne as Ernie seemed a bit stuck up and Justin was a bit too loud and boisterous for his taste.

He got to the room and opened the door and let Wayne in through first. Stepping in, he began his inspection. The room had that same comfortable feel that the common room did, but on a much smaller scale. There were two of everything; beds, desks, shelves, wardrobes. It was everything they needed. A bathroom was off to the side on the right, while the left contained a nice little reading nook with a lamp and a couple of cozy chairs.

Their trunks were already at the edge of a bed, placing Harry near the reading nook and Hopkins near the bathroom. He started to unpack his things but he was interrupted.

"Well, I suppose since we are going to be dorm mates from here on out, we should know each other a bit."

Harry turned from his trunk and found Hopkins standing at a comfortable distance, not too close to encroach on his personal space but not too fair that it made it look like he was afraid of Harry. He put out his to shake which Harry cautiously grasped.

"My name is Wayne Hopkins."

"Harry Potter"

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Potter. I must say, with as quiet as you were at dinner I am very pleased I am rooming with you rather than the other two boys."

Harry giggled, "Yeah, I agree. They were a bit much. And call me Harry."

Wayne nodded with his own smile creeping on his face. "Only if you call me Wayne."

"Now, Harry, let's get unpacked and get to bed. I am completely knackered. How about we go to breakfast tomorrow bit early, so we can explore the castle. Sound like an alright plan?"

"Sounds brilliant. Exploring the castle it is."

"Then I wish you a good night."

"Night Wayne."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Book One**

 **Chapter Two**

 **The Halls of Hogwarts**

 _September 2_ _nd_ _, 1991_

 _Monday_

Harry was the first to get up, since he had always been an early riser. He was groggy, sure, but a shower usually did wonders. He gathered up all his necessary things and walked towards the bathroom. Not getting a chance to really explore his room beyond unpacking, he started to notice that his bathroom had everything he would need. Soap, hair care products, brushes and combs, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and bunch of other things he had never seen before. He just shrugged and decided not to spend so much time on it.

After hopping into the warm water of the shower he was reminded of something that he was supposed to do the night before.

 _I believe Harry that we needed to talk about our future here_

Harry groaned, forgetting that he was to be having a chat with himself, or the wolf if that's what he wanted to be known as. The other-Harry. It was starting to get confusing. Maybe he should find a name like Remus and Moony. Sure, Remus told him that his friends called him Moony, but he wasn't sure just how _aware_ the wolf was during their school time. His wolf later adopted the name when he was allowed some control. Kept things orderly. But Harry wasn't sure about coming with a name, but now he was starting to realize how smart it was.

 _I believe Harry that we need to find ourselves a pack… just like Moony once had…_

A pack? But that required allowing people getting close! That couldn't happen, because if they did they could find out about the wolf. The weird Weasley twins were already suspicious, and he really needed to make sure he lasted his time here at Hogwarts. Harry started to panic, breath becoming erratic.

 _Calm down and don't worry Harry… I will find you a pack… I know how to find if one is trustworthy and who is not… even more so than you do… I'll make sure you have a pack worth having…_

How could other-Harry possibly know better? If he was Harry, that meant he would only know what Harry knew. And even if he could trust people enough to tell them the secret, it would definitely break his promise to his Uncle. Yes, the wolf was under control, but what if took over and hurt someone?

 _You always have control Harry… You must learn that… You are never controlled with me… I only know more because of instinct and senses… when you accept me fully you will be able to do the same… Trust in me Harry… I will not bring harm to you…_

But it meant bringing people in. Risking his own safety. Wouldn't it just better to be alone? BE alone and stay far away from people who would be too curious.

 _If you continue to think that way you will end up as lonely and bitter as Moony_

But he was bitter and lonely because one friend was dead by betrayal, one was in prison for vigilantism and murder, and another dead for being a traitor. It was because people got close that Remus got hurt.

 _You should not be swayed by the experiences of others but make your own path… accept where it leads for both the good and the bad… You are not Remus and you are not Moony… You are Harry… You are your own…_

Harry supposed that it was true, but it still made him nervous. He might let his wolf find someone to be friends with, but it wouldn't be for a while. He would need to get used to the idea. Plus, he already had a roommate he would need to figure out and find a way to get around explaining his condition without revealing too much. If he couldn't figure him out, it would be a long seven years.

He quickly got out of the bathroom and let a very sleepy Wayne Hopkins have full access. He finished getting dressed, putting on his new yellow and black house tie, and his newly house adjusted school robes. The trim on them were now yellow instead of the grey that came standard when he bought them. He supposed that they changed whenever he was sorted, done by a charm or maybe a house elf. He tried to fix his hair, but it was never any use. The only thing he found worked to give it a "fixed-up" look was to find a part and force the top to be pushed to one side. It was still unbearably messy, but now it looked messy on purpose rather than the just woke up look bird's nest he naturally had.

He sat down in the reading alcove and started reviewing one of his books, a book on Herbology to be exact. He really enjoyed the subject, since Uncle Remus loved to garden and showed Harry how at an early age. Since then he couldn't get enough. It worked out because it helped him understand potions, and from what his Uncle told him, that should help him in the long run with the current Potions Professor who was known to abhor children that did not belong to in his house or did not have the patience and tolerance for the art and science of potions.

He was reading up on a strange semi-aquatic plant called nirnroot, which 'sang' in the moonlight, when Wayne emerged from his own shower. Harry gave him a subtle smile and waited for his new friend to get dressed. Harry thought that maybe one day he could tell Wayne about other-Harry, but what eleven year old could keep a secret? Within five minutes, the boys were out of the common room and on their way towards the Great Hall which wasn't very far and did not give them opportunity to get lost.

They made it before most student, and sat down quietly near the edge of the table, near the staff table where they sat the night before. They found the night before that the hierarchy pushed the older and more important students towards the middle, and then spread from there. First years were almost always on the outsides of the table. That didn't bother Harry nor Wayne since they both liked to be away from the crowd and get some sort of reprieve from the excitement. But as they ate, they were approached by their new Head of House.

"Good morning boys. It is always so nice to see children up and ready to go in the morning." Professor Sprout said, beaming at the boys with a great big smile. "Now, I have your class schedules ready for you but classes will not start until Wednesday in order to give you time to explore and find your way around. The first time is always a bit overwhelming, but the longer you are here, the more comfortable you will be in the castle."

She handed them each a class schedule, which included all the information about each class they needed, such as time, location, and required books.

"If you plan on touring the castle, I would recommend going through the greenhouses just after lunch, since I will be there and can answer any questions you may have!"

"Wait," Harry said, eyes lighting up. "We get to study in greenhouses instead of just Herbology theory?"

"Of course Mr. Potter. I don't just wear an apron for giggles. Tell me, do you like Herbology?"

"Like would not be a strong enough word ma'am," he said eagerly.

Professor Sprout laughed at his energy. "Very well, now I must insist you come by after lunch to receive a tour. You are welcome as well Mr. Hopkins. And before I forget, tonight after dinner you and I are having a meeting with the Headmaster, Mr. Potter. We just need a quick chat about your health history, so don't fret. You are in no trouble. Have a wonderful day boys."

Harry nodded, knowing that tonight she would be informed about his werewolf condition if she didn't already know. But since she mentioned it in front of Wayne, he had to come up with a good excuse. But he wasn't given the time to think.

"Health history? Why would the Headmaster want to talk about that? Isn't that the school nurse's responsibility?"

Harry sighed knowing the rehearsed explanation to cover his absence during the fool moon. "Normally yes. But considering how often I get sick, they are probably wanting to talk about how I will make up work for classes that I miss."

"How often do you get sick? That must be pretty bad if there needs to be a plan."

"I probably get sick for a few days once or twice a month. It shouldn't affect school much but I got to be careful."

"What is wrong with you? Wait… sorry. I am being nosey. It's none of my business."

Harry laughed. "It's fine. My immune system is different from everyone else's I suppose. A night or two in the infirmary should be fine. Plus, if we are going to be sleeping in the same room, you should know it happens. I don't want you to worry too much about me if I don't make it back to the room some nights."

"Oh. That makes sense. Well, I am completely full. Want to walk around the castle then?"

'Sure."

The boys got up from their places, and took their bags back to their room now that they knew they were unnecessary since there were no classes for the day. On their way out of the common room, they ended up colliding with an older 'Puff as they turned the corner.

"Ouch! That really smarts."

"Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to. Are you okay? I'm sorry." Wayne gasped. He started to pat down the boy he just ran down.

"Calm down there kid. It's fine. It was an accident. Just a kick to the shin and a head to the chest. I'll be fine."

The older boy laughed off the pain, and turned his attention back to the younger boys. "Are you guys okay? Do you need any help?"

Harry shook his head. Sure, falling after colliding with the older boy hurt but it wasn't something that could be fixed. Wayne on the other hand had other ideas.

"We might not need help with any injuries, but we do need help. Would you be willing to show us around the castle? We don't want to get too lost on our first day."

"Is a little lost okay then?"

Wayne just shrugged.

"Well, I think I can help you guys. I can give you the basics so I don't take away all the mystery. How about that?"

Wayne nodded excitedly, but Harry just shuffled his feet nervously.

"I'm Cedric Diggory, by the way. Fourth year."

"I'm Wayne Hopkins and this is Harry Potter."

"Alright Hopkins. Potter. Nice to meet you. Let me go pick some stuff up and I'll show you around.

* * *

Most of the day was spent in the company of Cedric Diggory who showed them the placement of every class, and how to get there. He gave the normal route most students took as well as two different shortcuts. He hinted at secret passages but didn't want to take away the joy of discovering them on their own.

Wayne was complete enamored by Diggory, as if he was a really cool older brother. He would follow closely behind and held on to the older student's word. He wouldn't talk a whole lot unless it was necessary, becoming incredibly more and more shy as the tour went along. Harry on the other hand, liked the fourth year, but it was similar to the twins. He was older and would probably be a bit more observant of his surroundings. Maybe once this tour was over, he would forget all about the green eyed boy. Harry sure wasn't giving any encouragement to him either, not being overly friendly though not trying to come across as cold as maybe a Slytherin. It just came out to seem that he was as shy as Wayne, but not as desperate for friendship.

It didn't take too long to get a grasp of the basics of the castle, the important bits, but by the time they finished it was noon and lunch would be served in the Great Hall. Once there, Cedric said goodbye and went off to hang out with this friends, whom Harry could hear teasing that Cedric had become the "new babysitter for the ickle firsties". He kept his lunch rather small and short, wanting to make his way out to the greenhouses. Wayne was wanting to go with him, so he had to wait around a bit longer than he wanted to. He didn't want to come across as rude and unwelcoming and possibly ruin any chance at peace in the dorms, let alone friends.

The rest of the day seemed rather boring besides the excursion to the greenhouses which Sprout didn't show much, but was very excited to know the in-depth knowledge Harry had of the plants. Wayne was bored out of his mind, and eventually dragged Harry away, lest they be stuck forever. Not that sitting in their dorms were any more exciting.

Harry followed after his Head of House for his meeting with the Headmaster. This was the point she most likely would find out his wolfish nature. He was steeling himself, trying to not think about her turning him away and forcing him away from the school. She seemed nice, but he didn't want to have too much hope about it.

The reached an old statue of a gargoyle, an ugly looking brute, to which Professor Sprout gave the password "blood pops" to gain entrance. The old thing moved out of the way, showing a small alcove with a spiral staircase. The climbed up rather quickly, and entered into a room that had the door open for them. Obviously this was an expected meeting. But the unexpected part was that Professor Dumbledore was not alone in the room.

"UNLCE REMUS!"

Harry launched himself at his guardian, not caring that he had seen him just the morning before. Though their "pack" was just the two of them, he always felt at home with the old werewolf nearby. The other adults laughed at Harry's exuberance, while Remus just embraced his charge.

"Hey there pup. How are you?"

"I'm doing great, especially now that you are here."

"Indeed. I heard you got sorted. Became a badger or something."

Harry looked downcast at the jest. He had been worried that his uncle wouldn't be happy that he didn't go to Gryffindor.

"Oh cheer up pup. I'm not disappointed one bit. In fact, I am quite proud. There would be no better place for you."

Harry smiled, and punched his guardian softly in the arm. "You are just saying that."

"Not at all. But we can talk later. I still have yet to get an owl from you about the news, so I expect one by the end of the week. We have things we need to talk about here."

"Yes we do indeed Remus," Albus Dumbledore spoke, a twinkle in his eye. "Pamona dear, you are here so that you can assist us with the care of Mr. Potter here."

"Yes, you mentioned an extensive health concern that would need monitoring."

"Yes, but this is not like you have seen before in a student though not unique in Hogwarts students in its history. You see, we need you help in covering Mr. Potter with _fake_ illnesses throughout the year to cover the true condition."

Pamona looked confused. She had never dealt with a request like this before. She tried to keep the truth as a virtue, but here the Headmaster was asking her to lie and hide things. "And what condition is that Albus?"

This is when Harry tensed up. The best possibility is that she merely asked for a house change for him. Worst? He shuddered thinking of the consequences of an unregistered werewolf.

"My dear, Harry here is a werewolf."

Sprout gasped loudly, and looked quickly to the boy in question. He looked to be on the verge of crying and she knew she need to act appropriately as to make sure he was cared for. She quickly got up and embraced the boy in his seat. He was startled by her actions, so much so that he lost control and began sobbing. He just whispered in his ear.

"Oh my dear child. Shhh. It's going to be okay. I'll help you as much as I can. Remus is right, this is the best house for you. I'll make sure of it. You shall not be turned away."

They sat like that for several minutes as Harry cried out the tension he had been holding in. Albus smiled fondly at the pair, while Remus was warmed by the care and immediate love the Herbology professor had for his pup. While he wished that it had Minerva who could help the boy since she had helped him, he now knew that Pamona was the best choice possible.

When Harry finally calmed down, the gardener leaned back, taking his arms in her hands. She looked fondly at the boy, with a big old smile as if nothing in the world was wrong. It apparently was infectious as Harry gave a small laugh and smiled back.

"Well, now that the news is out in the open, Pamona may I count on your help?"

"Of course Albus. I meant it, I will make sure this is the best place for Harry."

Albus nodded. "Very well, then we can sort the details since the next full moon is not until the twenty third. Harry, you are free to go and have the rest of the evening to yourself."

Harry nodded, hugged his guardian and smiled shyly at his Head of House, leaving out the door he came through. Pamona sat up and into her original chair, her face changing from acceptance and love to one of worry.

"Albus, how could this happen? He is just a boy?"

"I'm afraid I am to blame Pamona," Remus interjected rather sadly.

"So that means you…"

"Yes, I am. It's the reason that Harry lives with me rather than his blood family. With his parents dead, Sirius in prison for murdering Pettigrew in a bout of a righteous vigilantism and sense of honor, I was all that was left that could provide for Harry in this condition."

"But… that doesn't make sense. The Potters report said they died by curses, not a werewolf attack."

Remus sighed heavily as though the weight of the world was upon him, and he started his long story. How on the full moon that November in 1981, he transformed without his friends for the first time since his early Hogwarts days when they all went to school together and they became animagus in order to help him with transformations. How Moony, his werewolf, sensed that something was wrong that night and broke free of his cottage in Cromer.

How he made his way across England to reach Godric's Hollow, to find Death Eaters swarming the place. How he tore through the most dangerous Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange with a vengeance who had killed Lily Potter and was moving on to the Potter child, how he mangled Rodolphus leaving him barely alive, and chewed through the throat of Barty Crouch Jr. How he came upon the bodies of his friends and knowing that even Moony broke. How he heard Harry's cry, to finding him, to Moony biting him to claim him, to making sure that the boy stayed with the pack despite the loss of his parents. How after bringing Harry back to Cromer, and he didn't moved for days as the boy recovered from the werewolf bite.

Pamona looked as if she were about to lose the contents of her stomach. Remus lost himself in the story, losing himself to the world, and went into pretty graphic detail of the events that transpired that November moon. It was a hard night for Remus, who would lose everything except for Harry. But it came at the cost of a normal life for the boy. A life of hiding who he really was.

The professor at that time settled the resolve to protect the boy. He had lost so much. Yes, he had an uncle who cared for him, but had not much else. He bore a secret that no child should carry.

The night continued as Remus and Dumbledore explained the condition, how Harry was not as violent or wild as the wizarding world made werewolves out to be, but would need a day or two to rest up after the nights of transformation. He would need to be taken down to the Shrieking Shack to hide his monthly transformation, which had a convenient secret passage under the Whomping Willow tree. She learned new things that night, but most of all she learned about herself.

She would go to the ends of the earth to see that boy smile.

* * *

 _September 3_ _rd_ _, 1991_

 _Tuesday_

"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here George. An ickle firstie out on his own. Not very safe I'd say."

"Too true Fred. I suppose we as responsible do-gooders we should take the time to properly escort this poor, frightened student."

Harry Potter just rolled his eyes at the twins' antics. Yes, he was out on his own, but this was a school. It wasn't like there was danger just lurking around every corner. Sure, he could rationalize that there was danger on the third floor, but he currently was on the fifth floor looking for a secret passage.

"And what am I in danger from. Other than being smothered by some obnoxious Gryffindors?"

"He wounds us, George. Here we are trying to protect this badger, and he bares his fangs at us."

"Indeed he does Fred. And to answer your silly question little badger of ours, you never know when there is a snake just lurking around the corner. Badgers often are on the top of their entrée list."

It seems that I am never going to get rid of them am I, Harry thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed heavily.

"Well, if you are intent on following me around, could you at least help me?"

"At your service Harrykins!" George input, quickly standing at attention with a loose salute. "What can we do for you pup?"

Harry froze. They couldn't have figured out that he was a werewolf yet, right? There was no way they could know. Only Remus called him pup, and that was an obvious connection.

 _I like these boys…_

Shut up, Harry thought to himself. "Pup?"

"Yeah, you know. A baby badger," Fred fired back. "You are now a 'Puff so it fits."

"Except baby badgers are called cettes. Not pups."

"Well, I suppose you got us there. Maybe you should have been a Ravenclaw with all that knowledge noodling up there," George teased as he ruffled Harry's already messy mop.

"And since that is too complicated to remember, and we like pup, a pup you shall stay," Fred said with big smile.

 _I really like them Harry… they smell trustworthy… devious, but worthy…_

Harry ignored the wolf and just changed the subject away from being called a "pup".

"Would you guys be willing to show me a few secret passages?"

The eyes of the twins lit up mischievously. It was a bit off putting how excited they got at the mere mention of a secret passage.

"And why oh why would ickle Harry need a passage? Maybe needing a quick get away?"

"Up to no good already, and need an escape plan?"

"Maybe wants to already follow in our footsteps, and play some nasty pranks on some poor unsuspecting innocents?"

Harry snorted at that last comment. "Please, if I were to follow in anyone's footsteps in pranking, it would be my Dad and my Uncle. They at least bring bad memories in teachers that hadn't resigned by the time they finished."

"Oh ho, from a line of pranksters are you," Fred chimed in with a Cheshire smile. "And who would these marvelous pranksters be? Have we heard of them?"

"My Dad, James Potter and my Uncle, Remus Lupin?"

The twins paused, stroked their chins as if they had long beards as they dramatically tried to remember the names. But ultimately, they just shook their heads.

"Nope, doesn't ring a bell."

"Must not have been so good if we haven't heard of them."

"There is only one group that is notorious enough to be worthy of our recognition."

"But that is for later. We can give you all of our secrets just yet."

Harry's head began to spin at the back and forth of the brothers. But he just smirked. "Ask Professor McGonagall. She knows all about them. She might be the best to ask, or so my uncle has told me."

"A mystery you say? Well, it won't be too difficult I would say."

"Indeed. Now let's show you that secret passage. I'm sure you will like this one. Put's you right by the kitchens."

* * *

After dinner that night, Harry found himself curled up with a book in the small reading nook of his room. Being around so many people, so many smells, so many loud noises, it was starting to take a toll on him. At least now he knew where the kitchens were, so conveniently placed just outside the common room entrance, he could skip meals in the Great Hall and take meals to his room. He had a throbbing headache from all the extra sensory take in that he never had to deal with living in the small cottage with his Uncle.

His first class the following morning was Herbology with the Gryffindor first years, so he wanted to make sure he had read up on the necessary material. He expected the class to be a breeze, since that was the one practical lesson Remus could give him before getting a wand. So naturally Harry liked it best because got to do _something_ more than just read a book. He eventually started becoming obsessed with it since Moony had to teach him how it connected with potions, and what could or could not work with Werewolf physiology, or what would poison it.

As he got into the Latin classification of dragon's tongue, the room door opened and a nervous looking Wayne Hopkins stepped through. He looked around as if something was about to jump out of any shadow nearby. Harry watched him silently, curious as to what had set the poor boy off. When Wayne fully inspected the room, he let out a breath and sat down in the chair opposite of Harry.

"Alright there Wayne?"

"Y-yeah. Sure."

Harry marked his place and set the Herbology book down on the side table. He turned his attention to Hopkins, finally smelling fear on the boy. While his senses would never be as good as when the wolf had control, when emotions were extreme enough he could sniff them out. This was particularly awful when in the Great Hall, around a bunch of teenagers with their… pheromones. He knew he was either going to need to find a way to get used to it or block it, or else seven years might drive him insane. But Wayne, Wayne had none of that. Just pure fear.

"Wayne. You can tell me what's wrong."

"What makes you think that something is w-wrong?"

Harry smiled sadly, "When a person enters a room that is supposed to be safe like their bedroom, and scan the room like something is going to attack, something is wrong." The fact that he could smell it went unsaid.

Wayne shook his head. "No, it's just silly. Don't worry about it."

Harry nodded, accepting the dismissal for what it was. "Alright, but if you need someone, you can trust me. We should be able to trust each other. What is said in this room will never leave this room."

Harry winced slightly at the laugh coming from the wolf. Something about being hypocritical about trust between friends. Harry just shoved it down, and went back to his book but only pretending to read it. Maybe after a moment to calm down, Wayne would open up. It didn't take long.

"You're right Harry. We should trust each other. If not now, when?"

Harry put the book back down on his lap, and just made eye contact with the other boy willing him to go on.

"I, uh, met a Slytherin named Draco Malfoy earlier. Delightful fellow," Wayne said sarcastically, causing Harry to snort, having already met the pompous snake. "Well, he started to go at me for who knows what reason. Maybe it's just because I am a Hufflepuff. But it doesn't matter now. Anyway, I tried to ignore him which just made him even angrier. Something about 'minding one's betters when being spoken to'. "

Harry nodded. That sounded like Draco, if his interaction on the boats was any clue to the true nature of the blonde prat. But it didn't take away from the fact they were eleven. No eleven year old is scary enough to set another on edge. At least, no non-werewolf eleven year old.

"Well, because I ignored him, his goons grabbed me. Big burly guys. Looked like they should be third years, but clearly didn't have that level of smarts. Anyways, once they grabbed me, they threw me into a nearby broom closet and blocked me in."

At this, Harry still wasn't sure that this was something that would set the boy off. This couldn't be the end of the story. There had to be more. But it took a few minutes of silence before Wayne continued his story.

"Cedric found me, luckily, and was able to get me out. I was probably only in there for five minutes, but I wasn't alone in that cupboard. The moment the Slytherins left, I realized they had trapped me in with a boggart. At least, that's what Cedric called it. It's a shapeshifter that changes according to your worst fears. I was in there for five minutes with that thing. Cedric only found me cause he heard one of my screams. He took me to Madam Pomfrey, but it's been keeping me on edge all day."

Harry now realized the severity of the problem. He didn't blame Wayne now for being so skittish. That must have been a terrible experience. He couldn't even fathom just how awful that would be, stuck in a place with your worst fear come alive.

"I… Wayne I am sorry you had to experience that. If I can do anything to make it better, please tell me. I'll gladly help you. And you can bet that prick Malfoy is going to get his shortly."

Wayne laughed. "Harry. You can't use that word. It's not proper."

"What, prick?" Wayne just nodded confirmation.

"Well guess what, it makes you laugh so I don't care about proper. Prick, prick, prick, pricky prick prick."

Wayne keeled over, gasping for air and holding his sides as he giggled uncontrollably. After a few minutes of laughter, he finally calmed down and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Thank you Harry. I need that. All of it, not just the laugh. Thanks. You are a really good friend."


	3. Chapter 3

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Three**

 **The Potions Master**

 _September 6th, 1991_

 _Friday_

Harry found himself outside a large door, deep within the dungeons early Friday morning. This would not have been particularly surprising considering it was Friday, and this was the first day of potions class. What was odd though was the variety of students mulling around the door, waiting to get in. Normally, classes were broken up into pairs according to houses. On Wednesday, Harry knew he had Herbology with the Gryffindors, while Charms on Thursdays were with the Ravenclaws. But this class seemed to include all four houses of Hogwarts. And even more strange was that Harry noticed that while Ernie and he were present, Justin and Wayne were missing. Perhaps they may have gotten lost, Harry thought. He did leave Wayne at breakfast in order to go get his books.

The door swung open, revealing a sneering bat of a man with beady black eyes. His sneer seemed to become worse when he surveyed the students. He removed himself from the entry way with a sharp order to enter. The student's hastily rushed in, and took their seats with their house mates throughout the classroom. They were utterly silent, as the professor slammed the door behind him and strode over to his desk, grabbing a large parchment. From there he proceed to take roll.

The disdain never wavered in the man's voice as he called out students. The only change, Harry noticed, was when he reached two students in particular. First was Neville Longbottom, how he was the "newest celebrity" which was said with anything but admiration and fondness. But then the man reached Harry's name, and whatever was said before about the man could have been compared to a small delightful kitten when the venomous contempt sprayed from the man's lips having to say Harry's name. Harry couldn't understand why the man seemed so instantaneous hateful, as he had surely never met the man before let alone insulted him to the point where the animosity was necessary. But he didn't have much time to think about it when the man began to introduce the class.

"My name," the man said, with a terrifying whisper that everyone could somehow hear, "is Professor Severus Snape. You shall only address me as Professor Snape or Sir. There will be no foolish wand waiving in this class beyond what is necessary, and this is a class that will only favor those of you who have the ability. Hopefully there are more of you who are not complete dunderheads compared to the usual drabble I have had to teach year after year though," the man sneer, locking eyes with Harry, "I surely doubt that."

"As you may have noticed, there are members of all four houses here, though not complete houses. Headmaster Dumbledore seems to think that house unity is in need of repair, and believes that my class is the place to do such a trivial thing. He has requested that you work together, despite house name in order to nurture such a thing."

"So before we begin this lesson, I shall be pairing you up. The decision is final and will last the whole year. You may never trade partners, not matter your petty feelings on the decision. If you cannot work together, you will serve detention until you can. If your partner loses points or warrants a detention, so shall you. I shall not tolerate foolishness in my class, and I will do my best to stomp it out. If you cannot handle this, then I suggest you leave, and never return."

The student's stayed deathly quiet, hoping not to incur the wrath of the bitter man before them. Hi9s gaze swept the room, daring any student to move.

"Here are your pairing choices up on the board."

With a flick of his wand, names began to appear and match up with a new name as soon as it would appear as well. Students quickly moved about to find their partners, Ravenclaws with Slytherins, Slytherins with Hufflepuffs, Hufflepuffs with Gryffindors. It was madness trying to watch the chaos as it stayed quiet. Odd pairings happened. Justin Finch-Fletchley ended up being paired with Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw. Dean Thomas, a Gryffindor, was with Millicent Bulstrode, a frumpy Slytherin girl. When Harry's name finally came up, he was paired up with Neville Longbottom, the Boy-Who-Lived of all people. He quickly got up and took his stuff over to the Gryffindor and set things up, nodding in acknowledgment towards Longbottom.

"Now, again, there are no changes so do not bother complaining. Now… POTTTER!" The classed jumped at the shout from the professor. "Tell me what I would get if I add powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?"

Harry quickly went through his knowledge of plants, knowing he knew the answer based on their qualities. "I suppose it would create a sleeping potion of some sort based on the high levels of melatonin each plant has."

Professor Snape sneered, "You suppose? Tut tut. Maybe you should have read beforehand. It creates a sleeping draught so strong it is known as Draught of Living Death. Longbottom, where would I find a bezoar?"

Startled, Neville just stuttered out, "I-I don't know sir."

"Clearly fame isn't everything is it?" Snape spoke softly but aggressively, gaining a few chuckles from the Slytherins in the room.

"Potter, once more. What is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"

"Virtually nothing sir. They both belong in the same genus of a poisonous flower known as Aconite, the common name for all three." Harry spoke, staring at the potions professor with a calm but otherwise emotionless face.

Snape on the other hand frowned deeply. "Correct Potter. Well. WHY AREN'T ANY OF YOU WRITING THIS DOWN?"

The rest of the class period seemed to pass at a snail's pace. Harry tried to make as many detailed notes as possible, catching the minute details that were not included in his textbook. If the professor was going to be pulling from his Herbology texts, then anything he said would clearly be fair game on any exams in the future. Luckily, Lupin had taught him the basics of muggle Chemistry, things like scientific shorthand for notetaking and procedures that would provide clearer and more accurate results. After an hour of lecture, Snape turned gears.

"Today you shall be brewing a simple boil cure in your pairs. Instructions are on the board. Proceed."

Harry peered up at the board, but figured it was easier to read from his textbook. He looked through it and found the matching recipe. Writing down the ingredients needed, he went off to grab what was necessary while Neville set up the cauldron to brew in. It wasn't a long process for Harry, as he could tell the plant based ingredients on sight as he worked with them in Lupin's private garden before, which Lupin needed for potion creation of his own.

Setting everything down, he started to roll up his sleeves and took of his watch. He set the watch down next to a small notebook, pointed his wand at it, and whispered "Locusum nigera", causing a larger but faint face of the watch to appear. It was nothing special, but helped him watch the time a lot easier and wouldn't need to depend on guess work. He also began to write down several things in the notebook before starting, which caused Neville Longbottom to look at him curiously.

"Um… Hi, I'm Neville Longbottom. What are you doing?"

"Hello Longbottom. I'm Harry Potter, nice to meet you," he said with a smile, not really paying attention to his partner. "I am currently setting up notes so we can make sure we have accurate work. The watch is just set up to tell me the time so we can have our stirs and ingredient additives timed right. This is just to avoid making mistakes, and the notes are taken so we can know where we made a mistake so we can fix it in the future."

"Huh… I never would have thought. Are you sure you are a Hufflepuff and not a Ravenclaw?" Neville scratched his head. "Could you teach me that stuff?"

Harry smiled with a small laugh, "Sure Longbottom. We have a free period after this, so I can give you a quick rundown of what I am doing after class. But we better get started before Snape comes over and has reason to give detention."

Neville eyed Snape fearfully, but nodded and they began to work. They worked uninterrupted for the most part, though Snape did stand behind them and breathed down their necks as they went about their potion. He watched them work for close to five minutes without comment, but eventually moved on to settle another pair of students. Somehow, Thomas and Bulstrode melted their cauldron.

When Snape left them alone, Neville let out a breath, and moved to put the next ingredient into the potion. He let a startled gasp when Harry grabbed his wrist forcefully, stopping the motion. Neville glared at Potter, but the boy didn't notice as he stared intently at the hand in his grasp.

"Longbottom. Careful with that. The nettles cannot go into this potion quite yet. Doing so would cause an explosion, and would ruin the potion."

Neville's eyes widen, not realizing he could have gotten hurt with his own relief and carelessness. He put his hand back down, once Harry had released him, and put the nettles back in place. A slight bruise was forming where Harry had grabbed him, which seemed odd. It was forceful, sure, but it didn't really hurt.

Harry, noticing the bruise winced. "I'm sorry Longbottom. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's alright Potter. You saved me from a worse injury. A little bruise is way better than being in the Hospital Wing the first week."

Harry just nodded, and kept going with the potion. "Remind me to get you some bruise balm after class." By the time they finished, it wasn't perfect but it was clearly good enough for a first try. Professor Snape told them all to bottle up a sample for each pair, and clean their spaces up. He dismissed everyone, telling them to bring their sample to the front of the class for observation and grading. They were also given homework on the potion making basics taught and how they interacted with their first potion.

"Potter, Longbottom. Stay after class."

This made Harry worry. He couldn't think of anything he had done wrong. His potion was decent, sure, but wasn't the worst in the class. Even Longbottom was on his best behavior. Maybe this would show why the Professor seemed to hate him so much.

When everyone left, Snape sat down behind his desk which the boys stood in front of.

"Potter. I want you to explain to me what it was you were doing during the brewing portion of this class."

Harry cocked his head in confusion, "What do you mean, sir?"

"Do not play daft with me boy. I am talking about the notebook and the watch."

"Oh that. Yes sir. I was taught at home various things from muggle chemistry to ensure accuracy in my potion making. The watch is set up so I can see the time for addition of ingredients or stirring, since trying to glance at a watch on my wrist could possibly disturb any of the process. I enlarged it with a projection spell so I can see it, since a watch far away is as useful as a watch on my wrist."

"My notebook is there to record the process. My Uncle taught me that I should write down everything I do and every reaction that occurs. One reason is so that if I mess up, I can figure out where it was exactly I went wrong. But it also is to help me with any homework. If I have detailed notes, I do not have to try and remember what it was that I did and when things happened."

Snape nodded his head in confirmation, and looked to be in thought. The boys waited for several minutes, hoping that they would be let go without being in trouble.

"Mr. Potter I admit you are the first student to try this particular practice in a very long time. Since you seem to be so daft that you need an extra process, I want you to continue to do so, as well as teach Mr. Longbottom here the same since he is your partner. I want a copy of your notices at the beginning of each class from the previous week. This will be added to your grade."

"I am also curious. How did you know the detail of melatonin levels in the potion mixture for the Draught of Living Death, yet did not know the potion itself?"

"I really like Herbology, sir. I simply guessed the reaction from those two plant bases based on what I know about the plants themselves from my earlier studies."

"Who are your parents Potter?"

The look of confusion returned to Harry's face. This definitely was turning into a weird conversation. "My parents were James and Lily Potter sir. But since they died when I was little, I have been living with my godfather, Remus Lupin."

Snape's eyebrow raised at that. "Yet as far as I was aware, the Potters passed without child."

"It wasn't common knowledge sir. From my understanding, they went into hiding before I was conceived, so very few people knew about me. Did you know my parents sir?"

"Unfortunately."

"I'm sorry sir. I don't know much about them. Uncle Remus doesn't like talking about them. If they were mean to you, I am sorry."

Snape's eyes bore into the raven haired boy before him, studying him. Harry tried to look away but found that he could not release his eye contact with the Potions Master. It was an odd feeling, like an itch at the middle of his brain that he couldn't hope to scratch.

"Interesting. You may leave. And remember, I want a copy of your notes from today's class before class starts next week. Now get out."

The boys rushed out. Neville looked baffled by what just happened. Snape was a terrifying teacher, clearly by his reputation that was passed along amongst the Gryffindors but the unnerving silence that he had as he was interrogating Potter was… indescribably uncomfortable.

Once the made it out of the dungeons, Neville finally burst. "What in Merlin's saggy shorts was that?"

Harry looked down, not wanting to deal with Neville's confusion on top of his own. He merely shrugged and turned to go up the main stairs to reach the Library. Despite wanting to be alone and the lack of response he gave, Longbottom followed him.

"He is a right git, isn't he Potter? Where does he get off?"

Harry snorted a short laugh, trying to keep calm. "I don't know Longbottom. He clearly hates me, though I haven't the foggiest."

"Well, forget him. You told me you would show me that crazy nonsense you were doing in class. Are you still up for that?" Neville turned with a smile. The aggression towards the Potions Master was gone, and he seemed so carefree at the moment.

"Of course. C'mon, I'll show you in the library before lunch time."

"Wicked! Also, you seem to know a lot about Herbology."

"Yeah, it's my favorite subject. My uncle and I would garden all the time, both magical and non-magical plants. I find it really relaxing."

"Huh. Well, don't tell my grandmother, but Herbology is my favorite too. I don't know if I have as much experience or knowledge you have, but I find that it's pretty easy."

"Really? I never would have guessed."

Neville's face grew tight, anger seeping in. "Why, cause the Boy-Who-Lived should be into Defense Against the Dark Arts or something?"

Harry just shook his head. "No. I just don't see a Gryffindor being into it, that's all. I don't really know much about the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing, and honestly I don't care. You are just Neville Longbottom. Gryffindor who is pants at potions."

"Ya know what Potter. You are alright. Let's make a deal. We only have two classes together, potions on Fridays and Herbology on Mondays and Wednesdays. Let's pair off in both. We both like Herbology, and if we can mesh the two, maybe I won't be so pants as you say in Potions."

Harry hesitated. He really needed to stop attracting people to be his friend. He already needed to deal with Wayne and the Weasley Twins. But so far, Longbottom didn't seem like the kind of person who would notice anything wrong. And he could control the environment in which he interacted with the blonde Gryffindor. He could limit him to classes and the odd study time. Eventually he would grow bored, and would leave. It just would take a month or two.

"Alright Longbottom. But since I am a Hufflepuff, I am going to expect you to work hard on this."

Neville beamed despite the warning, and threw an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Come on then. We need to get a start on this before lunch."

* * *

It was there in the library that the boys stayed, unfortunately missing lunch. But they got deep into the essay that Professor Snape had demanded of them and Neville was taught the basics of scientific note taking. Harry knew that it would take a while for the chubby blonde to get a full grasp on it, but the start was encouraging. But he did notice that the Gryffindor struggled with the spell for the watch, but couldn't figure out why. Maybe after a few weeks he might be able to tell.

Just as they finished up the essay for Snape, and pulling out the reading necessary for Herbology, Ron Weasley stormed up to their table.

"There you are Neville. I have been looking all over for you! How could you ditch potions and leave me to Snape all alone?"

Neville blushed at the accusations. "Ron, I didn't ditch you. Didn't Snape tell you about how things have changed for his classes? I am in the morning class, while you must have the afternoon."

"Yeah, but still. It was awful. The greasy git was completely unbearable. And then he decided it was a good idea to pair me up with a Slytherin! A slimy little snake! Can you believe it?" Ron said loudly, receiving a glare from the Librarian, Madam Pince.

"It can't be all that bad Ron. Maybe you are just overreacting." Neville tried, attempting to calm his friend.

"No it was awful. The twins said he was awful, and they were right." The red head said slumping into a chair, before finally noticing Harry sitting across from Neville. "Oi, who are you then?"

Harry looked up from his book, having tried to hide from the confrontation of friends. But before he could answer, Neville interrupted. "Ron, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is Ron Weasley. Ron, he is my potions partner and from this point on my Herbology partner."

Ron just ignored Harry at that point. "Wait, you are replacing me with a 'Puff?"

"No Ron, I am not replacing you at all. Harry is just a class partner and we are gonna do our homework together for that class." Harry sunk at that statement. Maybe Neville wasn't all that friendly, just wanted him to help out with his homework. Yes, Harry didn't want this to bloom into a friendship, but it still hurt a little to be used in such a way.

"But a 'Puff? If you wanted someone to do your homework for you, why didn't you get someone smart like a Ravenclaw?"

Harry just sunk further into himself, but Neville became indignant. "First off Ron, Harry is plenty smart. Way better at Herbology and Potions than I am. Second, he isn't doing my homework for me. He is my friend and we will help each other. I don't need anyone to do my homework for me."

The mood of the group changed completely changed at the point. Harry was surprised at the change in Neville, and trying to understand that the boy just called him a friend. Ron looked properly ashamed at what he said. Neville just glared at Ron.

"Ron, you are my first friend and that will never change. I am not just going to replace you. But I can have, and want more than, one friend. I want to have Harry as friend."

With that Neville grabbed his book, stashed it into his book bag and took off from the library in a huff. Harry looked sheepishly at Ron and copied the action though not to follow Longbottom. He wasn't aware of where the Gryffindor common room was, but he knew it wasn't near his. But halfway there, he realized how hungry he was and just how late he was for lunch. He just sighed and instead of making his way into the Hufflepuff common room to escape from the craziness that is Hogwarts, he made his way into the kitchens for a light snack before dinner.

* * *

Severus Snape was not a pleasant man to be around. He was prone to fits of rage and sarcasm, and no one was safe from his biting comments. Sure, some of it was due to his role as Head of Slytherin House and the necessity to hide in a persona that was appeasing to a Dark Lord as Snape was a favored spy, but overall it was just his personality as a whole. He cared for little, hated much, and was uncomfortable around so many children at all hours of the day. The only reason he stuck around Hogwarts was the stipulations of his agreement for sanctuary with Dumbledore, and a Ministry decree to keep him under their watchful eye in his post Death Eater days.

But no matter the demeanor the sour man had, against all the odds, Albus Dumbledore took joy in Severus's company. He would find humor in the man's scathing tone, where there should not have been. And after years of interaction, Severus even found himself becoming fond of the oddity known as the Headmaster. But occasionally he would find something that the old coot had done to royally piss him off. Today was one of those days.

"Albus!" Severus glared as he stormed into the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, Severus. I was wondering when I would see you up here. Would you care for a lemon drop?" he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Damn your silly candy obsession Albus. I want to know why after the disaster that was Remus Lupin, you would allow a second werewolf into the school."

"I see, you have meet Mr. Potter then."

"Yes, I have meet Potter." Severus snarled. "I had a moment within his mind to see that secret you and he hold from the rest of the population. Not only is he a werewolf, but a Potter! He shouldn't even be alive after what happened to Lily. Are you out of your mind?"

"Severus, take a seat please." Albus motioned towards a comfy chair in front of his desk used for such meetings.

"I do not want to sit down. I want you to explain to me the rationale of bringing beast into this castle when we already are dealing with the blasted stone!"

Albus lost the twinkle in his eye, and stared coldly at his potions professor. "Severus, sit. I will explain everything if you would just calm down."

Severus sat, but the anger and disgust never left his face when Dumbledore began to speak. "First, you that the stone is no danger. Voldemort has not physical body in which to retrieve the stone for himself, and the current enchantments around the stone are strong enough to stop any one man even if they are somehow able to get passed the school wards. No one knows it is here, so the school is not in any danger."

"Second, yes I am aware that Harry Potter is a werewolf. You would be wise to keep that to yourself, as I have recommended in the Lupin fiasco. I brought him in because he, like every other child, deserves a fair education. And he is just that, Severus, a child. As for his being alive, it was kept under wraps for a reason to avoid any more retaliation from Death Eaters than what had already occurred in Godric's Hollow."

"But he is a Potter. He will be arrogant and lord over the students just like his wretched father."

"I completely disagree. You should have noticed the difference between the boy and his deceased father the moment he was sorted into Hufflepuff. You would have also noticed that instead of an arrogance, the boy is completely and overwhelmingly shy. Remus has pressed upon him the importance of keeping his condition a secret that in the end it warped him into a reclusive little boy. And if you would continue to ignore the boy for who _he_ is rather than who his father was, you should know that I was there to aide in the raising of the boy."

"While Remus and I encouraged him to have the good qualities of his parents, such as Lily's compassion and James's loyalty, I made sure that he would abstain from the bullying habits his father possessed. Some of that came from James being spoiled as a child, but Harry has had a life that has been far from spoiled. In fact, I have seen less James in him, and more Lily despite his physical appearance favoring his father."

"Severus, while I cannot demand that you give up your hatred towards James Potter, as I know the history there is too deep, I can make sure that it is not passed unfairly onto his son. I will be the first to admit that I will favor the boy at times and do everything to protect him, but know that I will not let my mistakes of letting the Marauders go unchecked happen with Harry. You will not pass on that hatred to the boy. If he is deserving of it, then so be it, but allow him to give evidence of who he is before unfairly judging him."

Severus was stunned. It wasn't very often that Albus would attempt to curve the less savory personality quirks Snape had, but to outright demand it for one child? He knew the old man had a protective streak for those he loved, but this was something else. He had never seen such fierceness portrayed outside of the battles he had with the Dark Lord.

"Severus. The boy is an orphan." Albus whispered, coming down from the rush of anger. "He had no means of knowing his parents, and in so has very little connection with them, either positive or negative. He only knows James and Lily from stories. Let him be, Severus."

"Fine," Severus replied with a chill in his voice. "I suppose you would like me to brew him the Wolfsbane potion for the full moons?"

"No, we have found a way around it. Something to do with the physiology and the psychology of the wolf that we have learned over the years. Harry is in control of the wolf, even at times of the moon, and the potion would only reverse that control. It would be more dangerous now to start providing it to him."

"Very well. Then I shall leave you to it. I have some brewing that needs to be done anyways." Snape rose from his chair, and strode out the room, leaving Albus all alone.

* * *

 _Uncle Remus,_

 _I just wanted you to know how things have gone my first week here at Hogwarts._

 _As you know from our meeting earlier this week, I am in Hufflepuff. Not what I am sure you were expecting or maybe even hoping for, but I like it. Professor Sprout is incredibly nice and is helping me with transitioning to life here at school. Even if the rest of the house was awful, I would be glad to stay just because of her. But my house is nice. Especially my roommate Wayne Hopkins. He is a bit reserved in crowds, but get him alone and he almost never stops talking. But he is nice enough, I suppose._

 _Classes are going well. Herbology is fun of course but I am a bit ahead of everyone else (just like you said I would be). Transfiguration is alright but the teacher seems really strict and she looks at me funny whenever she doesn't think I am looking. Why is that? Charms is probably the most fun class cause Professor Flitwick tries his hardest to make it enjoyable. Defense is a joke. I can't concentrate in class because Professor Quirrel stutters so much, and his room stinks of garlic. Everyone complains how bad it is, so imagine it with our noses._

 _I need some advice though. I am somehow attracting attention of people without even trying. For whatever reason, though I am not sure why yet, the Weasley Twins Fred and George have "adopted" me (their words). They even started calling me "pup" though it's because I am a badger or something. I accidently slipped on the train and George caught the wolf for a split second. I am trying to avoid them, but it seems impossible. It's like they know where I am at all times of the day. Then there is Neville Longbottom. You know, the Boy-Who-Lived. I don't really care for the title, and he has a similar interest in Herbology like me. It is nice to finally talk to someone who understands what I am talking about._

 _But I don't know what to do with all these people. I know you want me to keep the wolf secret, but I am not sure how. They won't leave me alone, but honestly I don't want to be left alone. It's nice having friends. What should I do?_

 _One last question, why would Professor Snape hate me? There is just something about him that seems like he does. Sure, he is nasty to everyone, but it is different when he talks to me. Is there something I did wrong? I don't think I have ever met him, but surely I haven't offended him by merely showing up right?_

 _Anyways, the wolf wants me to tell you to say hi to Moony for him. Maybe I should give my wolf a name. Might be better in the long run if he had a name instead of just referring to him as wolf._

 _I hope you are ok. Write to you again soon_

 _Love,_

 _Harry_


	4. Chapter 4

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Four**

 **Secrets and Rumors and Locked Doors**

 _Pup,_

 _Good to hear from you. I am glad that things are going well and that you are finding yourself integrated well. I meant it when I last saw you, I am proud of you, no matter the house you belong to. I told you that Hufflepuff is perfect for you, and that is not a word against you, Hufflepuff is loyal and fair, it is hard work and patience. These are good attributes to have that are often times forgotten by those who favor ambition, or knowledge, or courage even, but to their detriment. I am glad you are in that house, because it is there that you can become the best of us all._

 _For the issue of your friendship. Please, do not take yourself away from others just because of the wolf. While I do encourage you to hide your wolfishness, I do not want you to withdraw so much at the cost of loneliness. I have dealt with that myself for far too long and I do not wish that upon you. Befriend the twins, and Longbottom, and especially Hopkins. Trust your wolf. Name him, trust him, and accept him. It'll be okay. Please do not punish yourself in loneliness just because I have. I never wanted that for you._

 _As for the teachers, I suppose it is two problems caused by the same starting point. I told you that back when I was in school, there were four of us who made up the Marauders. McGonagall was our Transfiguration professor then as she is now, and she had a soft spot for the four of us. But you knew that. I believe that she sees your father in you, as he was one of her favorites, not that you could ever get her to admit that._

 _As for Snape, the focus is the same person, different emotions. Your father and Severus could only be described as nemeses. They were constantly at each other's throats. I cannot remember a time where they weren't. It started because of your mother. Your father was madly in love with her, and Snape was her best friend. Snape wanted to protect her and James was jealous of their closeness. It went on for years. Albus and I always told you that James had a nasty bullying streak unfortunately, so that you could avoid that same "personality quirk", but Severus Snape was his favorite victim. I purposefully say victim, because more often than not, he was. This hate filled relationship was fueled even more when something terrible happened between Lily and Snape, and then once again when James and Lily started to date._

 _I hope that he can one day leave behind his hatred, and I am saddened that he is passing it on to you, as I fear that because you look like James, you remind him of his childhood bully. And even more, you represent the girl he lost. My only advice to dealing with him is to avoid antagonizing him at all costs. Never prank him, ever. Do not address him with anything less than respect. Yes, he might still be a grade A arse, but you should never let your self be sullied by the bitterness of others. It is not fair to you to let it happen._

 _If things become unbearable, you can always go to Albus. I'm sure he can give more sound advice than I can. Probably a lot wiser than me to. I know you trust him, so remember that you do._

 _Keep your head up pup. I miss you so much._

 _-Moony_

* * *

 _September 12_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Thursday_

Thursday could easily be described as the most boring day of the week for one Harry Potter. Sure, he enjoyed having charms in the morning, but it was soon followed by History of Magic and Magical Theory. Just the thought of spending an hour and a half in each class made his brain want to melt. He liked the subject of history as much as the next person, but the ghostly Professor Binns was more effective at putting people to sleep than chamomile tea. Magical theory was a basics class that was more geared towards muggleborn students who had no experience in the magical world. Good thing it only lasted a single term rather than having it drawn out over the whole year, or heaven forbid more than one year.

So because of his classes, he was feeling antsy. He wanted to go and do something. Wayne was off doing something with Cedric Diggory, who Harry assumed had unofficially adopted the first year and decided to help him with any homework. Harry didn't feel comfortable with the Hufflepuff fourth year, so he just stayed away. But this caused another risk. Being found by the Weasley twins.

Now the twins over the last week and a half had a strange ability to find him whenever he was out wandering. He wouldn't tell them that he was, or even tell them a schedule of his day, yet they somehow managed to find him for a few minutes every day to somewhat fuss over him. Since he had yet to see them for the day yet, he knew that they would be around eventually.

He made his way down to the Lake the lay beside the castle and decided to wait there for the twins and try to enjoy the nice weather before it got too cold. Low and behold, he didn't have to wait long. He was watching the giant squid flip some tentacles up above the surface of the lake and splashing back down when the twins crashed to the ground around him.

"Hiya Harry." The twin on the left greeted.

"Hi George."

"Wait a minute. He isn't George, I'm George."

"No you aren't," Harry said, with a face that was clearly no impressed by the antics. "You are Fred and he is George."

"How do you know? No one can ever tell us apart!" Fred questioned with a suspicious look.

Harry then panicked internally. He could only tell the difference between the twins because he could smell a difference. It wasn't completely different, since they were brothers after all, but it was like trying to distinguish spearmint from peppermint. There was a difference but it left the same feel in the mouth. Not that he could tell the twins that without raising suspicion about his condition.

"I..uh…I just…"

"Calm down Harry," George said. "Clearly this is going under your file; The Mysterious Potter Mystery. First we have the crazy eyes incident on the train, and now you can tell us apart without explanation?"

"Very curious I'd say brother."

"Indeed. Now Harry, would you like to tell us or are we going to need to continue investigating the mystery of our favorite badger pup?"

"There isn't a mystery. I just could tell you apart okay?"

"Nope," Fred interjected. "I don't believe you. Though we have made some headway on our research, haven't we George?"

"Yes we have Fred. First we thought vampire, but then again you are out in the daytime and are not a Slytherin."

"Yes, then we naturally thought werewolf," Harry tensed and sat completely still at the mention, "but we checked the self-updating registry in the library and you weren't on it so unless you are unregistered, you aren't a wolf."

"Veela doesn't work because you are a boy, at least we are pretty sure you are a boy, and you aren't charming all the boys around you."

"And last but not least, you aren't a metamorphmagus. At least we don't think you are. Are you?"

The twins both cocked their heads at the same time, giving the same look at Harry. He would have laughed if he wasn't so tense from the werewolf comment and the fact that the twins were investigating him.

"No, no metamor-whatever." Harry waived his hands around, flustered by the twins. "I'm just a regular kid. And my eyes never changed. You must have just been seeing things. And maybe I have a question for you guys? How are you always able to find me whenever I am out of my dorms?"

"Trade secret, I'm afraid."

"We will share with you Harry, in return for more clues as to what you are hiding." The twin smirked as Harry's expression darkened.

"I'm not hiding anything."

"Then neither are we Harry. Maybe you are just easy to find."

"Indeed little Harry," George chirped. "Oh and by the way…" George flicked his wand out and pointed it towards the first year. A bright orange light struck Harry right between the eyes, turning his hair bright Weasley red. "We owed you one."

Harry just sputtered, not able to find the words. Surprised that he was pranked, not understanding they why behind the "owed" offence, and angry cause he let himself get caught up in it. "Harry, you pranked us good. We have never gotten a detention before classes started, but thanks to you we did."

"I never got you guys into trouble, or pranked you" Came out the indignant protest.

"Oh but you did. We did just like you said and asked about these "pranking legends" that your dad and uncle were. Old Minnie just gave us one look of horror and gave us a detention. Didn't even answer our question, did she George?"

"That she did not Fred. Just threw us out the door. So maybe you were right about how good your family is, but until you tell us we shall never know."

Harry just shrugged, "I guess not. Oh well."

"Well, we gotta go. Places to be, people to prank. See ya Harrykins."

"Yeah, bye pup!"

Harry waved them off, glad to get a moment of reprieve from the exhausting tandem.

* * *

 _September 22_ _nd_ _, 1991_

 _Sunday_

Now that a few weeks had passed, Harry began to find himself in a rhythm. He would go to classes every day, have a quiet lunch with Wayne, be pestered by the Weasley twins at least once a day, and did homework with Neville on Fridays. Snape was still as bitter as ever, Draco Malfoy was still a prat, and Ron Weasley complained about school work. It all started to bleed together, but for Harry, it was comforting.

He liked the mundane life that was shaping up around him. It was easy to manage, even in spite of the Weasley twins and their incessant attempts to figure out what Harry was hiding. He gave off fake clues or distracted them with prank ideas, which seemed to be working wonders. They would drop the subject and go off to find out more in the mystery that is Harry Potter.

The pranks were also a nice relief. Though he never engaged in one, he gave the boys either simple ideas from stories he heard from his uncle or he gave them a target. The first target was of course Draco Malfoy. After the incident where Wayne was trapped in a broom cupboard, Harry tried to figure out a way to get back at the blonde ponce. He was becoming more and more protective of Wayne, the wolf wanting Wayne to be a part of the pack started to push the protectiveness for the boy. He was loyal, as were most Hufflepuffs, but he quietly watched over his roommate whenever he could.

He made sure that Wayne was present for the prank on Malfoy as the twins unleashed a personal hell upon the Slytherin first year. They set up a time release jinx that would go off when he was surrounded by a large majority of the student boy which tended to be lunch. As soon as he entered the Great Hall, flanked by his two bodyguards, his hair started to fall out. Every single hair was attacked by the jinx so that even the boy's eyebrows were not excluded.

The one thing that the Malfoy family was more prideful about than their heritage and money was their signature hair. They all produced sons, and every son had the same white blonde hair. It was a tradition within the Malfoy family. A calling card if you will, easily recognizable from a distance much like the Weasley's fire red hair. So to get rid of that hair would attack the very pride of Malfoy. It would terrify him to his very core, which was exactly what Harry wanted. He made Wayne feel unnecessary fear, and so the pay back would cause the same.

Harry and Wayne would have felt bad about it when they saw Malfoy's face, but over the last few weeks he had become a downright terror. Any chance he had, he would strut through the school as though he owned it and made sure to make sneering comments towards others that were "beneath him". He especially liked to target Longbottom, who had apparently snubbed his offer of friendship on the train, and Ron, for being a Weasley. If those two weren't around, he would just find the nearest Hufflepuff, no matter the year. So overall, Harry was fed up with the Slytherin and didn't care when he was humiliated in front of the whole school.

But as the days pressed on, Harry found himself whisked away by Professor Sprout towards the Hospital Wing on the first night of the full moon. Technically, the full moon fell on the twenty third, but the days on either side of it had the same effect on him. He would transform all three nights, and so needed to be away for a few days under the guise of a poor immune system. He left early in morning, so he wouldn't tip off Wayne that he wasn't really sick. That would be hard to explain when he didn't have any symptoms.

He would work on homework, had he not finished it the day prior with Wayne and Neville. So he just sat around, waiting for the sun to go down. He should have brought a book or something.

 _Harry… There is something you need to know… something to know about Neville…_

Harry's face scrunched up.

 _There is something wrong with him… something dark…_

That didn't make sense at all. Neville was the Boy-Who-Lived, not that Harry cared for the title one bit. How could he possibly be dark?

 _I smell something_ off _about him… I can even taste it…_

Taste? Last time he checked, he never licked Longbottom. That would be just too weird.

 _The closer to the moon we get the better my senses get Harry… I don't physically taste him but it's like I can…_

He knew that his senses got stronger near the moon. It was why he tried to avoid the Great Hall at all cost for the last few days. But now that he thought about it, he did smell something off about Neville.

 _He smells like honey but then I get a whiff of something rancid… like rotten meat… I don't know if it's a part of him or just clinging to him… but it's wrong…_

That was really awful. Harry was really starting to like Neville, even though being around Neville meant that he had to listen to Weasley whine. To know that he was dark… This could really put a damper on things.

 _No Harry…. I believe that he should be a part of your pack… I'm not sure what this means because it was so faint that I could only smell it close to the full moon… Though if you want to rid yourself of the terrible red-head, feel free… he will never be a part of the pack…_

 _Stay close to Neville… maybe we can figure this out the more we are around him… possibly even save him from this tainted stench… Now sleep Harry… It's going to be a long night…_

 _There is nothing you can do about it now… just be aware…_

Just before sunset, Harry was snuck out to the old Whomping Willow by Madam Pomfrey. She told him on the way out that this tree was planted the same year that his uncle, Remus Lupin, came to Hogwarts as a means to help hide him safely during the full moon. IT would lead him down into the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade Villiage.

The shack used to just be normal until Lupin had moved in. It was during his stays that it started to become for rundown and damaged, gaining the reputation that it was haunted. Harry asked how that worked, since everyone knew that ghosts existed. He was told that not all ghosts were as friendly as the ones that resided in Hogwarts.

It was known that if a ghost was angry enough about the circumstance of their death, they could come back not just as a ghost but a malevolent spirit. It was at this point they could interact with the physical world in a way that peaceful ghosts could not. They often were violent and vengeful. So the assumption was that there was a murder in the old house, and the howls were not the howls of a wolf but of an angry ghost.

It worked wonders, since they had an Auror team that Dumbledore explained the situation to. It was some old friends who knew of Dumbledore's penchant for mercy, so they drew up a false report of a bloody murder scene within the house. It helped, unfortunately for Moony, that the werewolf would bite and tear at itself, causing the shack to become a bloody mess in the wake of his rampage. Even with the house being empty for the last decade, the village still feared it enough to never venture in.

When they reached the tree, Pomfrey showed Harry how to freeze the tree to get in and out. She froze the tree and ushered him in, telling him that she would be by in the morning to fetch him. He climbed down the passage way, having to duck down into the small space. It took him a while, but he was able to climb through without any real problems.

The moment he reached the old broken down manor, he say that even the description of the wreckage was not enough to define what he saw. Wood was splintered around the floor from damaged furniture. Walls had nasty gashes that not only tore into the wallpaper, but into the dark wood underneath. Windows were busted, glass mixing with the broken wood. IT would be something to be aware of if he didn't want to injure himself after the transformation.

He ventured further into the dilapidated building, finding various rooms each with its own brutal evidence of _something_ violent residing within the walls. He knew that he wouldn't be able to clean it up too much, as a precautionary warning just in case someone could get past the protective wards of the building. It wasn't likely, but Lupin pressed upon him the importance of caution too many times that it was burned into his brain.

He found himself in a small bedroom that had the least amount of damage, figuring that this room would the safest to be in. He studied the room a bit closer, until he found what could only be described as a nest. It was a pile of torn pillows and blankets, presumably taken from the ruined beds that scattered around the old manor. It probably wasn't the most comfy place to sleep, but it could work. It was clearly built for that reason.

Upon closer inspection, he could smell the faint familiar scent of his uncle. There wasn't much there, but it was comforting to know that this was a place started by family. The wolf in him would appreciate the comfort. But on top of the smell of his uncle, he could also sense a few more scents that were completely unfamiliar. It was like the bed had been slept in by a combination of animals and humans. The mix of animals were different, maybe three different ones, but the mix was strange especially since the seemed as old as the wolf scent. What creatures would be mad enough to stay around a changed wolf?

Harry just shook his head and started to prepare for his change. He stripped down, and folded his clothes up neatly. He learned a long time ago that if he tried to wear clothes, they would either be shredded by the transformation or would stick around and constrict him awkwardly. Being a werewolf in jeans was a strange feeling. So he now just took everything off, no matter how cold things got, and waited for the wolf to come.

The change came soon, not having to wait very long. Skin ripped as it was replaced by a new leathery skin. Fur sprouted painful, staring from the spine and moving downwards. Muscles expanded and stretched, becoming stronger than any human. Harry screamed as the transformation wracked his body, eyes screwed tight in pain. Despite the acceptance he had with the wolf, the change would always be painful. This was why he couldn't just keep on going the next day like nothing happened. The pain was exhausting.

Despite what was the common belief, werewolves were not just changing into large wolves. They were so much worse. They were bipedal beasts, though they were capable of high speeds on all fours, and they were built more with a human like structure. They were bulky, even young pups like Harry. They were an intimidating sight, and the fear of them were well deserved.

As he neared the final points of his transformation, a short snout with jaws holding vicious teeth, he finally opened his eyes. Green completely changed to a burning amber. The wolf was in control.

And soon the night was pierced by a long and lonely howl.

* * *

 _September 27_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Friday_

"Harry, there is something I need to talk to you about."

Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom sat in the library as was custom for a post-potions afternoon. The day started off rough, considering they had to spend a few hours in the presence of a man who hated the both of them and made sure to try to make their time as miserable as possible. They usually continued to do homework after lunch since they had a free period with Ron, but he was off in detention with Severus Snape for blowing up a cauldron "on purpose". Wayne, who also usually made a short appearance was off with Cedric Diggory, the fourth year that somewhat adopted the small firstie. That meant Neville and Harry were on their own.

"What's up Neville?"

"So..uh… you know how you were in the hospital wing Tuesday cause you were sick?"

Harry looked at Neville with a raised eyebrow, calm and collected. But inside he was panicking. He wasn't in the Hospital Wing on Tuesday night because he was off in the Shrieking Shack busy being a fully transformed werewolf. If Neville went to sneak in to visit him, there would be no one there to visit. Neville wasn't one to break the rules, but Ron was daft enough to encourage it.

Strike that, Ron would never encourage Neville to break the rules for a Hufflepuff. It was clear that Ron still didn't like Harry, and only tolerated him for Neville's sake. So what the hell is Neville getting at? "Yeah, I know that. I was there remember?"

Neville laughed at the sarcasm, tension leaving him slightly. "Well, Malfoy decided to start messing with Wayne because you weren't around. I know how you look out for him since he is your roommate and all, so I stepped in. Didn't want that smarmy git mouthing off anymore anyways."

"Well, since I stepped in Malfoy changed his teasing of Hopkins, saying that he finally upgraded his boyfriend from some puffed up mu- any way, it doesn't matter. Long story short, Ron ended up volunteering us for a wizards duel against Malfoy."

"A what? You do realize we are first years, and we don't know any spells right?" Harry spoke incredulously.

"Yeah, but remember, I said Ron did it. Not me. But anyways, that night we were supposed to meet in the Trophy Room at midnight. So Ron and I sneak out, but are caught by Granger of all people. She ended up getting locked out of the tower, so she followed us to make sure we didn't get caught and she wouldn't be found outside the portrait. "

"We get down to the Trophy Room, and guess who isn't there? Guess Harry."

"Uh… Malfoy?"

"Draco bloody Malfoy. That ponce set us up. We get there and Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, was waiting for us instead. So we quickly start running away, without really paying attention to where we are going cause we were more worried about not getting caught. Had to dodge Peeves while we're at it. We almost get caught and Granger does this pretty cool magic to let us into this locked room."

"But that is where the fun ends."

"You were having fun with all of this Nev? You never struck me as a rule breaker."

"I meant comparatively," he said seriously. His voice lowered, and he looked around to see if anyone was around to overhear what he was about to say. "Harry. We ended up on the third floor. The one that Dumbledore told us not to go to. We figured out why. There is a Cerberus hiding there."

"A Cerberus? As in a three headed dog?"

"Yeah. We found it in that room. We of course would have rather dealt with Filch so we booked it out of there. He must have left because we didn't see him there. We got back when Granger pointed something out. The dog. It was standing on a trap door. It's not just there for the sake of it. We think it's guarding something."

"That's… I don't even know what to do with that Neville. I guess it makes sense it is guarding something, but what?"

"We don't know. We don't have any clues beyond that, but it's just so big. I don't even know if I want to get involved with it. I'd rather just forget all about it. It wasn't exactly a happy time to go through."

"Well, then just do that. Forget about it," Harry dismissed, turning back to his book.

"You're right. It was just a bit much. I just needed to share with someone who wasn't there."

Neville turned back to his own homework, looking a bit solemn. Harry's mouth twitched, knowing he needed to say something. This was a big event for his friend, even if he was at fault for so foolishly rushing into a situation concerning dueling and a Malfoy. Typical Gryffindor, he supposed. But there needed to be something that was said to his friend.

"Thank you Neville."

"Huh?"

"Thank you for sharing that with me. I might not grasp all of what you went through, but I am glad that you could trust me to share it with me. I've… I've never really had a friend who trusted me like that. So thank you."

"Of course Harry. You are my friend. I want to share this kind of stuff with you."

Harry nodded. "Well, thanks still. And thank you for helping out Wayne. That really means a lot to me that you would step in for me."

"I know it does Harry." Neville grinned, glad that his friend was beginning to recognize that Neville was there for _him,_ maybe letting go of some of the shyness and insecurity. "And I would do it again in a heartbeat. I mean, someone has to knock Malfoy down a peg or two. Why not me?"

Harry laughed at that. "Why not you indeed?"

* * *

 _Moony,_

 _I hope you are doing okay. I missed you this last moon. It was weird being alone for the first time. I guess it was a little better because I got to be down in the Shrieking Shack like you used to do. I even found your nest. I think that really helped my wolf through being away from you._

 _But I noticed that there was a weird smell around it. Something like animals and humans. But what animals and humans would be okay being near you back then? Do you know anything about that?_

 _Not much to say, I guess. Still miss you Moony._

 _Harry_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Five**

 **Halloween, part 1**

 _October 29_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Tuesday_

Harry hated days like these. It wasn't that Tuesdays in general were bad in and of themselves, but the days in which everyone was busy really left him with nothing to do. All of his friends found themselves busy without him, so he just meandered around the castle by himself. Wayne Hopkins was seemingly avoiding him outside of the dorm room, currently hanging around Cedric Diggory. He attached himself to the older third year in what seemed like a bit of hero worship since Diggory retrieved him from the horror Wayne faced in the first week. Harry didn't mind, but still made an effort to be friendly, supplying snacks during study periods and not forcing Wayne to talk about whatever it was that caused him to be so absent around the castle.

Neville was out with Ron, presumably checking out the Quidditch pitch before the first match coming up in the second week of November. Harry really had no desire for the game, rather just liked flying for flying's sake. The game was something that Remus liked to talk about when telling stories of James and Sirius back in school, since that was one of the few opportunities to tell stories that didn't include any blatant bullying going on. Harry loved the stories but had no interest in the game himself. He would rather sit around with his plants than trying to battle in the air.

Fred and George. Now that was anyone's guess as to what they were up to. He stopped trying to figure them out and just went with the flow whenever they deemed it appropriate to show up. He liked them sure, but still was weary around them since they become fanatical about trying to figure out Harry's lycanthropy. He hated that kind of attention and wished they would give up soon.

But since everyone he was friendly with was out doing something else, he was alone by himself exploring in the castle. He was currently in the Defense corridor on the third floor trying to find any kind of secret passageways to get places faster. He wasn't having any real luck with it but found several portraits that he enjoyed having conversation with. Maybe the twins would know some of the corridor's secrets.

The only downside of being on that floor was that Quirrel took up residence there. This caused a strong odor of garlic to permeate the entire hallway. The garlic really bugged Harry, creating headaches within minutes of being in class with the weird stuttering man. Everyone else struggled to learn anything due to the stuttering and only being slightly bugged by the garlic smell. But for Harry and his enhanced werewolf senses, it was overpowering and he was borderline useless in class. If it wasn't for his ability to get the homework done at such a high level, he was sure that he would fail the class.

But now that he had spent an hour after classes were released just wandering the hall, the garlic really started to cause his head to pound violently. He brought his hands up to his eyes to apply pressure to relieve the pain, but it didn't do much. Maybe it would just be better to go visit Madam Pomfrey for a headache relieving potion before dinner. She already favored him a little bit as he made regular stops to see her due to his werewolf condition and the chronic headaches he would have from class.

He made a quick escape from the hall, not focusing on where he was going but rather just more on the fact he was getting out. He needed to get to the Infirmary quickly so he could get rid of this blasted headache. It was unfair, how easily was taken down by pungent smells. But in his distress he failed to realize another human presence until it was too late causing him to run into the chest of the mysterious person and sending them both to the ground.

Harry opened his eyes, panicking a bit for acting so foolishly. But the distress only got worse when he realized he hadn't just run into a random student but rather Professor Quirrel. He scrambled up and immediately offered to help the poor stuttering man up.

"I am so sorry professor! I wasn't watching where I was going. Here let me help you up. Are you okay?"

Quirrel let out a small nervous chuckle at the rambling of the eleven-year-old. "N-no harm d-done m-Mr. p-Potter. W-where are you headed off t-to in s-such a r-rush, eh?"

"Oh, um, I am off to see Madam Pomfrey. I have a really bad headache and wanted to go get some potions from her to help out," he sputtered out.

"I see. And I c-can t-tell that t-these headaches are c-common, yes?"

"Yes sir. Not to be rude, but the strong smell of garlic here really sets me off. I guess I am just more sensitive to it."

"T-that explains your c-class w-work I s-suppose. Y-you are n-not a v-vampire n-now are you m-Mr. p-Potter?" Quirrel joked.

Harry blushed as he shook his head in the negative. He might not be a blood-sucker and be allergic to garlic, but Quirrel's guess was not far off. Quirrel just kept on at the small response. "V-very well. Off y-you g-go. And m-make s-sure you p-pay attention t-to where you are g-going in the f-future, eh?"

Harry nodded and briskly walked off. He really wanted to get out of there. Even his wolf was starting to get antsy around the strong smell and the defense professor. The wolf muttered something about "dark stench" but he couldn't really pay attention as his head throbbed. But Quirrel wasn't the last unfortunate appearance of Harry's day. As he neared the stairs to escape to the next floor, Draco Malfoy made an appearance with his usual cohorts Crabbe and Goyle.

"Well, well. If it isn't Potty little Potter," Malfoy sneered as his henchman gaffed in amusement. "Did everyone finally realize just how pitiful you are and ditch you to find better company?"

Harry just sighed, being in no mood to deal with the blonde prat. "Malfoy, I don't have time for this today. May I have a rain check and we can resume tomorrow?"

"Oh is Potter a bit busy? What, do you need to rush off to get to the losers and mudbloods club?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't know why you keep insisting that I am muggleborn. Maybe you are just so daft that you don't know how to properly research. Let me help you. I am Harry Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, and heir to House Potter. Any questions?"

Malfoy snarled at the accusation of stupidity. "Watch your tongue Potter. And even if what you say is true, then you are nothing more than just a poor sad little orphan with no family to love. At least mudbloods are not as low as you. "

Harry's eyes darkened at the insult. While he had accepted that he would never see his parents ever again, he knew that Remus still loved him. And while he knew that his parents were not saints by any means, he didn't like to hear any ill being spoke of them.

"You know Malfoy. I would rather be an orphan than the cowardly son of a man who has his nose so far up the Minister's arse that the brown is starting to show on his face."

"That is it Potter," Malfoy snarled. "You will learn to mind your betters, you pathetic little orphan. Maybe then you will learn you place."

The blonde and his two book ends whipped out their wands and started to fire off spells in Harry's direction. Just a few odd hexes, nothing too dangerous but nothing that Harry found particularly comfortable. He just had to dodge what was being sent his way, the werewolf reflexes coming in handy. The only downside was that with three wizards sending spells at him, he wasn't able to take the precious seconds to reach for his own wand, stuck in his pocket.

He backed up and tried to find a way to get to the stairway and make a quick escape. But fortune was not on his side as he misjudged a spell and got hit by a stick fast hex, shoes sticking to the ground underneath him making him immobile.

Malfoy smirked at the Hufflepuff, assuring his victory. "See Potter. You are so pitiful, and now you will learn that a Malfoy will always come out on top. "

Harry's eyes widened at the three wands pointing at him, nervous for what was about to happen. Behind the three Slytherins he noticed Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout turning the corner chatting and spotting the boys. But the hope that they would intervene didn't even have time to form before Malfoy and his goons sent out their spells.

"Flipendo"

"Alarte Ascendare"

Harry was blasted out of his stuck shoes and lifted high back into the air. But due to his positioning, he wasn't going to just hit a wall. In fact, where there should have been a wall, Harry found open space that was the drop from the third floor to the second. He did not have the luck to just hit stone but rather a ten-foot drop to the floor below, slamming hard on his head and shoulder. He didn't have time to realize what had happened before all he knew was darkness.

* * *

Remus Lupin hated days like these. He paced back and forth in anxiety and anger at the back of the Headmaster's office. He had received news and hour before that his adopted son was in the hospital wing suffering from major head trauma and several broken bones. He thought that perhaps that there was an attack on the school but was horrified that it was not some rogue Death Eaters or some magical terrorist that brought his pup to such a condition. Instead it was just a mere eleven-year-old boy who had some kind of grudge and bullying streak. The evil was not some dark wizard but a child. He was furious, and Moony was even worse.

His pup was attacked and he wasn't allowed to bring upon retribution. To do so would reveal his werewolf status to the world and put Harry in further danger. He couldn't leave the boy behind for the sake of revenge, but revenge has such a sweet and tempting taste. Moony coveted blood, and it took everything within Remus to control the wolf like rage. Rage that he wanted to feel.

His pacing would have gone on and on into the night, anxious to go watch over Harry, had it not been for the meeting that was about to start once everyone arrived. There was such a large group of people that Dumbledore needed to summon, and it would naturally take time. Remus wasn't sure he wanted to be in close quarters of so many people in his current state. He would need to calm down and restrain his rage, if nothing else but for Harry.

He sat down in a chair against one of the many walls, one that would give him the ability to watch and observe all of the occupants that would soon arrive and take their own seats. He took a deep breath and readied himself for what was to come, doing so just as the office door opened bringing in a small crowd of people.

Albus Dumbledore was first. The old wizard wore his usual half-moon spectacles and a grandfatherly smile. His robes caught your eye with their pale baby blue color that may have been put on to give off a youthful look despite the white beard long enough to tuck into his belt.

He was followed by three professors; Pamona Sprout, Filius Flitwick, and Severus Snape. Sprout and Snape were there as Head of Houses for the students involved, while Sprout played the double roll of witness with Flitwick. Snape sneered at the sight of the werewolf in the room and immediately went to chair farthest away to make sure there was distance and people in between the two. Sprout and Flitwick on the other hand sat next to Remus.

Next to enter the room was Mafalda Hopkirk, who worked within the Improper Use of Magic offices in the ministry and was a member of the School Board of Governors. She was presumably there as a representative since Lucius Malfoy, the current chairman of the board, was involved in this process personally. She was a wispy witch and small in her stature. An interesting choice to represent the board.

The final three members to enter were the parents of the attacking students; Lucius Malfoy father of Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle Senior father of Goyle Junior, and Vincent Crabbe Senior father of Crabbe Junior. Remus knew them to all be very nasty and prejudiced, as well as former Death Eaters from the first war. Just like their sons, Lucius was the brains of the trio while the others left a lot to be desired in the brains department. But in spite of their lack of intelligence, they by no means lacked in their cruelty.

But Lucius Malfoy was a whole other beast to take on. He was cruel and sadistic, but it was all carefully hidden within a political mask that thrived on sarcasm and wit. He got what he wanted because he knew how to manipulate people in such a way that even those who hated him could end up doing exactly what Malfoy wanted them to do. He was a nasty piece of work and if you weren't careful you would find yourself under his boot, either literally or figuratively.

Remus twitched and knew that he would not get the justice that Harry deserved, if only because of the presence of Lucius. Draco would most likely get a slap on the wrist and maybe a few detentions while Harry lay in beaten black and blue under the watch of the school medi-witch. It aggravated him, and if there was one person he would give up his freedom to kill it would have been Lucius Malfoy in this moment. But Remus wasn't able to continue those dark thoughts as Albus started the meeting with a clearing of his throat.

"Now before we begin, may I get anyone some tea or perhaps a lemon drop?" the old man said with a genuine smile, though only getting his offers turned down. "Very well, I suppose we should get on to business."

"Most of you may know Mafalda here, she will be tonight's appointed representative of the Board of Governors as to avoid a conflict of interest as Lucius here is here on behalf of his son."

"Now Dumbledore, may I ask why all of us are here?" Malfoy interrupted. "This is highly unusual for a case such as this."

"I quite agree Lucius. This could have been a simple meeting where I simply explained to you the situation." Albus sat back in his chair after popping a sour lemon drop between his lips. "I of course would say that due to the severity of the attack on Mr. Potter, your son as well as young misters Crabbe and Goyle would find themselves expelled for such behavior. Of course, knowing a bit about you, you would appeal that and aim for a much lighter sentence for all three boys if not just for your own. I would then argue against whatever such light punishment, and we would go back and forth until we have spent many months wasting each other's time. I am simply speeding up the process and saving us all a headache in the future."

"Indeed," Lucius sneered.

"Now," Albus continued, "First we must assess the situation. According to both Pamona and Filius here, they came upon the three boys in question casting spells at Mr. Potter. They first struck with a Colloshoo, or the stick fast hex, and began to taunt saying as quoted 'See Potter. You are so pitiful, and now you will learn that a Malfoy will always come out on top'. They then proceeded to hit him with an ascension spell as well as a basic Flipendo spell, causing Mr. Potter to fly backwards and over the railing separating a fall from the third floor down to the second floor.

"Now Madam Pomfrey has provided," Albus started as he summoned a file the old Matron, "a complete analysis alongside a medical report from a secondary source from St. Mungo's. They have filed that the extension of the injuries includes; one broken clavicle, three separate spinal cord fractures, massive internal bleeding of the brain, a cracked skull, and various bruising. All healable of course, but the boy is currently in a magical coma that is forcing all of his own magic to deal with the damage to the brain. It is being done so on such an extent that the rest of his body is reacting to medical magic like a muggle and so the bones are still broken.

"This will cause the healing process to be extended several days as his natural magic heals his mind. I have also been told that the boy's wand was found broken within his pocket. This has been evidence towards that the only magic used has been by the three prior mentioned students and that this was not a case of self-defence. Now, we have all of the information needed, so we should proceed to finding a solution to our problem. Mafalda dear, as a representative for the board, why don't you start us off."

Hopkirk nodded, straightened her robes, and began. "I believe that the usual punishment would of course be to expel the three students. As they are still young and are prone to foolishness as most young men are, I believe that we should reconsider that. They are young and have room to learn and improve, I believe that we should instead suspend them for the remainder of this school year and have them come redo their first year come September next year."

Albus nodded while Lucius frowned at the insinuation that his son was "foolish". Albus turned to Lupin. "Remus, you are the guardian of the offended party. What say you?"

Remus let out a long breath in order to keep his cool while he made his opinion known. "I agree with Madam Hopkirk. But I also would like the St. Mungo's bill and the price of a new wand covered by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. I personally do not have the funds to cover that damage that their sons have done." Remus hated talking like a pureblood, but pretending was the only things that kept him from ripping out the throat of a frowning Malfoy.

At this Lucius made his thoughts on the matter known. "I think we are blowing this all out of proportion. As Mafalda here said, boys will be boys and they have made a silly mistake. We should just give them a month's worth of detentions and be done with it."

Pamona's face reddened in anger and Remus expected her to blow up at the arrogant man. But before she could speak, Flitwick cut her off. "I think you are underestimating the severity of the boy's injuries Mr. Malfoy as well as your own son's actions. If you would like, I would be happy to show you a memory of the event. And if that is not enough to show the disgusting actions of your son and his compatriots and you are so confident of his innocence, why not have him be interviewed privately by the Headmaster and Madam Hopkirk? Maybe even with Veritaserum to ensure the truth? You would have no worries as you are so confident of his innocence. "

For a moment, Remus caught sheer malice and desire to kill radiate from the eyes of Lucius Malfoy. It didn't last more than a moment, and had he not been looking at the man as Flitwick talked he would have missed it. But of course the logic of a Ravenclaw would come to bite Malfoy. Everyone expected Filius to be a peace maker, but he had a slyness that could rival a Slytherin. He had backed the blonde man into a corner that would not allow such a small punishment.

The meeting continued on like this for several more hours. The back and forth, filled with veiled insults and disgust. They would move over everything, from threatening full expulsion to an insinuation that this was all in fact Harry Potter's fault. Severus even spoke up about Dumbledore's tendency to protect his "precious little Gryffindors" which the headmaster expertly shut him down with the mention that Potter was indeed a Hufflepuff. But this wasn't going anywhere. The teachers minus Snape wanted the full punishment while the other occupants wanted less severe punishments. It just drove the tension higher and higher.

Albus then spoke up to avoid any raised tempers from everyone involved. "I believe a compromise. I believe that Mafalda and Remus are on the right track but may be a bit excessive. May I recommend that the boys be suspended until February third, a total of sixty-four days including weekends but not winter break. Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle shall split the medical costs and the cost of a new wand upon final notices from St. Mungo's for the usage of their healing staff. Can we all agree to that?"

No one moved at first, contemplating how to increase their side's advantage. But no one could find a way to change it without making much of a fuss. If they added another month of suspension, they mind as well just suspend the boys until the end of the year with as much class time they would miss. But the cost being sent to the stern men made it an easier decision for Remus. He was honest that really could not afford to handle an expansive medical bill that was sure to come from the injuries that Harry accumulated.

They all nodded in agreement, thankful that this would not go on for much longer. Albus smiled with a bright twinkle in his eyes. "Perfect. Then I believe it is appropriate for you to go and collect your sons, and I will make sure that St. Mungo's is notified of the billing. I will also send for the galleons to replace Mr. Potter's wand."

Lucius and his own personal bookends stood up with calm masks that bordered on showing their distaste for the matter. Lucius dipped into his pocket and pulled out eight bright gold coins and threw them on Dumbledore's desk. Without a word, they left to collect their sons from the Slytherin dorms.

Mafalda also stood up but used the Floo to the Ministry to file paperwork on the topic and results of the meeting. Sprout and Flitwick followed out the door, needing to get back to their Head of House tasks, but first bidding a good night to the remaining three in the room. All that was left was Albus, Remus, and Severus. The tension immediately went up in a room that was already tense. But Snape was the first to speak.

"Do you really think this to be a wise move Albus?"

The old headmaster sighed and slunk in his chair. "To be honest? Yes. Is it what I desired? No. I do not believe that the punishment was fit enough. But I also do not want to ruin their young lives for this. Maybe they can learn from this."

Snape snorted. "Of course you wanted to punish them harder. Anything to protect your precious Gryffindors and the Potter name."

Severus didn't have time to comprehend what had happened until it was already done. Remus crossed the room at impossible speed and punch the wall behind Severus's head just mere inches away from making contact with the potion master. The stone that the fist hit crumbled under the force, not completely destroying it but definitely leaving evidence of the werewolf's anger. The wolf's eyes burned brightly with rage and a snarl escaped from his lips.

"This has nothing to do with you and your pity party Snape. Harry is lying near dead and you cannot get passed your pathetic grudge on a dead man to see that. A child almost died and yet your calloused heart stops you from understanding that. I am warning you Snape. Get over it. Harry is not James, no matter how much you wish it so."

Remus fled the room in his rage, slamming the door behind him. Snape sat shell shocked at the power and rage that once stood before him. But in the end, his own bitterness won out and a sneer returned to his face. Dumbledore shook his head in disappointment at the sour man.

"I told you before Severus that Harry is not James and that you need to let it go. I will not remind you again."

Severus ignored him and to made his way out of the office in favor of solitude. Albus in his chair feeling defeated. Yes, he got away with quick resolution but he knew it was not enough. What Remus said was true. Harry almost died in the impact and Albus surmised that it was only by the sheer chance that he was a werewolf that he survived. Any other child would be dead and the three Slytherin children would be in Azkaban for murder.

He felt as though he failed Harry, to protect him and to avenge him. It was a feeling he had not felt for a student in quite some time. It hurt knowing how much he failed. His tired gaze raised to his familiar, a phoenix named Fawkes, and spoke out of that tiredness. "Where do we go from here my friend? Where do we go from here?"

* * *

 _October 31_ _st_ _, 1991_

 _Thursday_

Neville hated days like these. The school was quiet it seemed. Well, if one was prone to wandering the halls while classes were in session, then of course the castle would be silent. But it was the best time in order to get away from everything, which is exactly what Neville Longbottom wanted to do. He wasn't like Harry who liked the quiet for quiet's sake, but found that he really needed it.

The day for him went completely off the rails from the very first class. He had charms class that morning, where they were finally able to practice the levitation spell after a day of theory on the history and pronunciation of the charm. It wasn't an overly difficult charm but it took about ten minutes of struggling for Neville to get it right.

Of course Hermione Granger was the first one to accomplish it. She always was when it came to spell casting and having all the answers. She devoured books like Ron Weasley devoured food, and that wasn't necessarily a compliment. Granger didn't have a lot of friends because she was so over eager with her knowledge, and she came across as bossy and arrogant. And unfortunately for her, she was paired up with Ron in that class and he was the exact opposite. He was lazy and didn't take learning seriously.

This naturally led to a fight between the two about how to cast the spell, Granger being right but Ron taking offense to her attitude about it. As soon as they left the class, he insulted her by calling her a "bloody nightmare" and said it "was not wonder she didn't have any friends". She apparently was walking behind them and heard everything. She started to cry and pushed by them to hole herself up somewhere private.

Neville then lit into Ron. It wasn't that he completely disagreed with his best friend, but he hated bullies. He told the red head he was out of line and even if it were all true, it did not give him an excuse to open his mouth and say it. He made sure that Ron knew that he needed to go find Hermione and apologize before he would talk to him again. Ron blubbered a bit about the unfairness of it but Neville stood firm on it. He would not tolerate his best friend being a bully. He already had to deal with Malfoy as it is.

Then, when he walked off, he was found by Harry's roommate Wayne Hopkins. He didn't know the boy really well, other than he occasionally showed up to study with Harry on Fridays but never really talked. Wayne ended up telling him that Harry was in the infirmary again. This wasn't unusual since they all knew he had a poor immune system or whatever but Wayne just shook his head. Harry wasn't sick, he was attacked and was in a magical coma. Neville took off like a flash leaving the poor Hufflepuff behind.

Once he reached the hospital wing, out of breath from the physical exertion of running like had never done before, and tried to find his friend. Which he did easily, seeing the bruised and battered form of his quiet companion laying deathly still on a stark white bed. But he wasn't alone.

It was there that he was introduced to Harry's "Uncle" Remus. Neville was nervous around the man as he seemed on the edge and ready to lash out. The older man told him the story of how Harry got here in the first place and just how bad everything was. He even let out the punishment for the Slytherin bullies which Neville agreed was not enough of a punishment for what happened. But whenever was life fair when it came to the Malfoy's. They seemed to get away with everything.

Remus told him that Harry wasn't due to wake up for a few more days but would make sure to let the boy know whenever Harry woke up and was ready for visitors. Neville smiled at that and left the man with his charge.

The whole day left Neville drained. He didn't like fighting with his best friend. He didn't like that he found out his other friend almost died. He didn't like that Malfoy got away with it. He didn't like any off it. He just wanted to go to bed and sleep away the day. He was so done with everything but he knew he wouldn't get away with crawling into bed so early. Not with the Halloween feast that night.

So Neville did the next best thing and avoided the rest of his classes and wandered the halls of Hogwarts for hours, avoiding students and teachers alike. He was just so swept away in his thoughts that he couldn't do much else. After a few hours of this, he finally made his way down to the Great Hall for dinner. He just wanted it out of the way so he could end the day.

The Great Hall was an impressive sight once all the decorations were up. Hagrid, the groundskeeper, had planted and cultivated some impressive pumpkins. They were so big that a seventh year could easily fit inside them. The normal candles that floated around the hall providing light were transfigured into jack-o-lanterns that changed facial expressions and hummed a solid a tune in harmony with the next lit pumpkin. Bats swarmed around the ceiling, which thanks to the enchantments of showing the night sky, was a radiant star show and even gave evidence to the milky way.

The tables were lined with orange and gold colors, and all of the normal dishware was replaced with gold tinted items. It made Neville feel a bit better about coming down. It took about a half hour for everyone to show up and get situated. Neville spent the time talking with his dorm mates Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas. He liked them well enough but they both became obsessed with sports, especially football. But now they just talked about the muggle tradition of trick-or-treating. Neville thought it was funny that people dressed up as witches but added green skin and warts on their noses.

Dinner went well and the food was delicious. This was exactly what Neville needed to get out of his funk. He just needed the ease of friends and a good meal. But he should have expected it to go horribly wrong, just like everything else did that day, but he didn't. Not until Professor Quirrel showed up.

Quirrel burst through the heavy doors of the Great Hall, terror written on his face. He rushed towards the head table where the teachers sat, and the look he had seemed not to do his alarm justice.

"TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS! I thought you ought to know…"

And he fell to the floor in a faint.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Six**

 **Halloween, part 2**

 _October 31_ _st_ _, 1991_

 _Thursday_

"TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS! I thought you ought to know…"

The moment that Quirinus collapsed to the ground, the Great Hall erupted into discord. Never had there been an incident reported of something so large and dangerous getting into the school in well over a hundred years. Children from every house panicked at the thought that they could be in danger from a rampaging troll that was somehow smart enough to gain access to the castle. The noise rose to a deafening level, and would have continued uninterrupted had a large bang from the head table not sounded out.

Every head turned towards where the professors sat to witness Dumbledore standing tall with his wand raised high. With a clear voice, he rang out over the crowd of students. "Attention everyone. Prefects, I need you to ensure your houses are brought back to their common rooms in a safe and orderly manner. Slytherin house, please make your way to the Transfiguration corridor on the second floor, and lock yourselves within the largest classroom. Go, and the teachers shall notify you once the troll has been dealt with."

The doors to the hall opened wide as the students began to hurriedly march out to safety. Hufflepuffs went in the direction of the kitchens, the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors to their respective towers, and Slytherins to the transfiguration wing. The prefects kept them orderly and tried to make sure that the houses didn't mingle as to keep track of everyone in the place they belong. The Head Boy and Girl ushered everyone out, making sure the Great Hall was empty of students before turning and evacuating with their houses.

It was by the fifth floor that Neville over heard his classmate Lavender Brown speak up to the nearest prefect, Percy Weasley. "Excuse me. Hermione Granger isn't with us. I think she is still in the first-floor bathroom. She doesn't know about the troll."

The eyes of the red-headed prefect showed that he really wasn't really listening. "I'll let Professor McGonagall know as soon as she returns to the tower."

Neville knew right then that Hermione was in danger if the professors didn't know that the bushy haired girl was out there alone, even if she was holed up in a lavatory. He quickly grabbed Ron by the shoulder, who let out a squeak of surprise, and dashed around into a nearby alcove to not be seen. Ron tried to speak up and question his friend, but Neville slapped his hand over the boy's face to keep him quiet. Once the Gryffindors were out of range, he grabbed Ron by his robes and dash the opposite way, back towards the first floor.

"Neville, mate, what are you doing. There is a troll that way!"

Neville looked back but didn't stop moving. "Hermione has no clue what is going on right now with the troll and she is down in the girl's lavatory on the first floor. She has probably been crying there all day and it's all your fault. We need to go get her and bring her to the tower."

"Mate, leave it to a teacher. They are going to handle the troll anyways."

"But they don't know where she is. What if it escapes and run off and gets to her. What then? C'mon. We don't have time for this. We need to go get Granger."

The boys kept running but had to dive into another hidden alcove in order to avoid Severus Snape on the third floor. Neville thought it was strange considering the troll was in the dungeons and his students were on the second floor. But he didn't spare it a second thought before dragging Ron once again.

The rushed to the first floor and dashed to the where the restrooms were held. But before they could get there they came upon the troll. It didn't spot them, as it was stumbling away in the opposite direction, but it was clearly not in the dungeons like Quirrel said. The stench suddenly hit them, making rancid sewage seem like a better alternative. The boys gaged silently, but decided to follow after it, if only to find a way around it to get to Hermione.

It rumbled down the corridor, dragging the trunk of a large tree around like a massive club ready for battle. The club stuttered along the stone, creating potholes and grooves in the floor. Neville and Ron tried their best to follow along without a sound, but the crashing of the club and the awful stench of the beast was really starting to wear on them.

To their luck though, it soon stopped in an open and large doorway. It was peering in, looking about curiously, or that was Neville assumed considering it _was_ a troll. Could trolls even be curious? But as it leaned in further, Neville leaned over to Ron without taking his eyes off the creature and whispered into his ear. "The moment it gets far enough in, we should close the door behind it and run off to Hermione."

Ron nodded and moved a bit closer to the troll. It lumbered into the open room, not looking back at the boys, and began sniffing around. Neville and Ron scurried to the door and slammed it shut, putting all their efforts in to do it quickly before the troll noticed them. The collapsed breathless in a heap outside the door. They grinned madly at each other, confident in their victory over the stupid troll. That was until they heard a monumental crash and a high-pitched scream coming from within the doors.

Their eyes widened at the sound and instantly realized that they didn't trap the troll in just any open room, but the very girl's lavatory that they were trying to get Hermione out of. Scrambling to get up and open the door, the crashed into each a bit, and awkwardly swung the door open.

Inside was pure chaos and destruction. Stalls were broken apart and wood splinters covered the floors. Several toilets were broken, causing water to rush out and flood the floors and porcelain debris mixed in with the wood and water. Underneath a sink opposite the toilets was one Hermione Granger, huddled into herself in hopes to not be seen by the massive creature. The only problem was that the troll was between her and the exit so there was no easy way to escape.

Neville, thinking quickly, decided on a plan. "Ron, I need you to distract the troll. If I can get to Hermione before it notices me, all three of us can get out of here."

"If you are sure," Ron said nervously as he picked up a piece of the broken toilet. He threw it as hard as he could shouting "Oi, pea brain." The shard of porcelain struck the troll on the back of the head, shattering further from the impact. The troll stood up straight and turned around looking confused. It wasn't often that a troll was attacked by anything other than another troll.

With a loud roar, the troll swung around to face the small Gryffindor. Neville took the moment of distraction to run towards Hermione who was still hiding underneath a sink. Neville tried to get her to move, but she sat immobile shivering from fear. Neville looked back at Ron to see how he was faring, only to see the troll catch him with the tips of its fingers and flinging him into the nearby wall. Ron sunk with a nasty crunch, seemingly unconscious. At the sight of his friend going down, Neville began to panic as he realized that everything was going wrong.

The blonde Gryffindor sprang into action while not thinking too much about the danger he was in. He climbed up on a sink to get a bit higher and proceeded to jump onto the trolls back. Grabbing at some loose skin, he tried to climb the beasts back quickly so that he would have access to its face. The troll noticed him and started to swing about trying to knock the boy off. But luckily Neville hung and was able to reach the monster's neck.

He pulled out his wand and without hesitation he stuffed it into the troll's large nostril. With instinct, he said the first spell he could think of, the incendiary spell from Herbology "Incendio". Fire erupted from his wand, but it didn't do much damage due to the high moisture within the troll's skull snuffing out the flames. What it _did_ do was aggravate the beast even further.

A monster sized hand grabbed Neville by the ankle, and swung him upside down before the troll's hideous face. Fear gripped the boy as death was surely eminent. He brought his arms up to cover his face, hoping that it wouldn't hurt to die. The creature let out a powerful roar right in the face of the frightened child. Neville suddenly cried out in pain has his ear drums ruptured from sheer noise, blood coming from his ears. Tears ran down his face in a mixture of agony and terror.

From the ground, Ron Weasley shook off unconsciousness only to see Neville about to be mauled by the rampaging troll. He took his wand and pointed it in the direction of the wooden club. "W-w-wingar… C'mon… Wingardium Leviosa!"

The club rose with a start without the troll's notice. Ron struggled keeping it afloat as it tried to gain altitude above the creature's head. Right as the beast let out the roar that crippled Longbottom, Ron let the spell go, allowing the heavy trunk crash to the ground, taking the troll's head with it. With a sickening thud, the skull of the beast hit the stone floor trapped underneath the massive club. Its arm landed heavily on Neville's leg, breaking it at the knee. Ron passed out the exhaustion of lifting such a heavy item with such a simple spell. Hermione began screaming, coming out of her shock. All this happening as three professors ran into the room.

Neville looked up unmoving to see Minerva McGonagall screaming above him but hearing nothing. He gave a questioning look at his Head of House, before blackness took him and he knew no more.

* * *

 _November 1_ _st_ _, 1991_

 _Friday_

The hospital wing lights always seemed overbearingly bright. It may have been the magic powering them, or just in combination of the stark whiteness of every piece of furniture that reflected the lights into a greater intensity. Neville struggled to open his eyes as the protested the light trying to tear its way in. His head ached and felt incredibly fuzzy. His mouth felt like it was made of cotton and his body fought against him as he tried to move his arm to shield his eyes.

For a second, Neville thought he was dead as that was the only logical conclusion to the whole troll fiasco. He just didn't understand why death hurt so much. A small groan escaped his lips as he attempted to sit up. He was shoved back down with a small girlish voice "Neville, stop. You are hurt. You need to stay resting or Madam Pomfrey will kick me out."

The boy turned his head towards the voice and saw Hermione sitting next to the bed he was laying in. "Am… Am I dead?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, not dead. You just got hurt really badly. Apparently, Madam Pomfrey had to fix a broken leg, repair your eardrums, and patch up a few cracked ribs. The troll did a lot of damage."

"What happened? After the troll went down."

"Well," Hermione looked down at her own shoes, "After you came to save me, the professors eventually arrived. McGonagall was really scared when she saw you lying like you were dead. Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Quirrel took us all here to the Infirmary to get looked over. I wasn't suffering much outside of a few superficial scratches and shock so a potion fixed everything up in a jiffy. Ronald was dealing with exhaustion and a concussion. They asked me what happened and told them everything. Well, almost everything."

"I left out that it was Ronald who said those nasty things, but I did tell them that I was there because I was crying and that you came to save me. They don't know why you didn't just get a prefect but I couldn't answer that either."

"But… I really want to say thank you. You saved my life and you didn't need to. I know that I can be a bit much at times, but you still saved me. I can never repay you for that."

Neville just stared at the girl who had yet to look up at him. He didn't think about it as saving her life, just someone who was in a tight spot. And then she protected Ron in all of this? He saw her in a new light. Maybe she didn't have friends and maybe she just overcompensated for that. She was a lonely person and she didn't know how to deal with it. She just needed a friend.

He reached out with a weak hand and grasped Hermione by the knee. Startled by the touch, she looked up into his eyes to see a caring smile across the boy's lips. "Hermione. It's alright. Thank you for explaining everything. And I know you don't think you could ever repay me, but I think I know of a way."

The girl immediately became wary, wondering what an eleven-year-old boy could want. A servant? Money? She had witnessed before just how cruel boys could be, and now she was at the mercy of another. She felt bare, with no protection from whatever it was the boy could imagine up.

"Hermione, I want you to be my friend just like I want to be your friend."

Hermione's eyes began to water as she was told the one thing she always wanted to hear, the one thing she always wanted to have. A friend. A real honest to goodness friend all to herself. She nodded fiercely and wrapped the blonde Gryffindor up in a bruising hug.

* * *

 _November 4_ _rd_ _, 1991_

 _Monday_

Neville was released from the hospital wing shortly after his talk with Hermione, and then an interrogation from McGonagall. He explained everything to her about why they went after Hermione. He said he knew she was bullied, and that she was missing at dinner. He told her how Lavender Brown told Percy Weasley about Hermione missing and was brushed off. He explained that he couldn't sit around while someone was in danger and ignored. He explained how he would have done it again though avoid the pain would be a good start to change.

Minerva didn't really show it but she was impressed by the bravery and the nobility of her young lion cub. This was the same thing that his father, Frank Longbottom, would have done. She was proud to say that Neville really embodied the characteristics of Gryffindor house and that he would call the tower home for the next seven years. She wouldn't want him anywhere else. For his act of bravery, McGonagall awarded him twenty-five points and said that his injuries were enough of a punishment for doing something so reckless and stupid and promptly told him to never do something like that again.

Saturday morning was greeted by an extremely loud Howler from his Gran, Augusta Longbottom. Fortunately, Neville gotten it when he was in the dorms rather than the Great Hall. Unfortunately, he had yet to wake up. Being woken up by a ten-minute rant by one's grandmother is an experience none should ever experience. She was a terror in person, but add an amplified letter?

But life went on. As soon as he was released, he started to hear the rumors about the troll incident, though none of them were remotely true. Some people said that it was McGonagall who killed the beast by transfiguring its heart. Some said that it was Neville who used a lightening spell and blew a hole through the troll's chest. There was even a rumor that Neville was killed during the process, but that didn't last very long once he started to wander the halls.

Come Monday, the rumor mill seemed to calm down and with classes resuming, everything went back to normal. Well, almost normal. Harry was still unconscious in the Hospital Wing, so Neville worked alone in Herbology without him. He was really starting to miss his Hufflepuff friend and deeply desired that he would wake up soon.

He shuffled through the day without much enthusiasm after that class, hating how he was feeling but couldn't kick himself out of it. Even when studying in the Library with Ron and Hermione would raise his spirits. And that was even with the current topic being discussed between his two friends.

"C'mon Hermione. Even you have to admit that he is a greasy git and is up to no good."

"No I don't Ronald," Hermione said in a huff. "He is a professor and should be treated with respect."

"Besides the fact that he never respects you," Ron argued, "Neville and I saw Snape sneaking around on the third floor on Halloween. And now he has a limp a few days later? He clearly has been around that monster of a dog."

"But why would he do that? Professor Dumbledore said that corridor would led to a very painful death."

"But didn't you point out that the stupid mutt was standing on a trap door? If that dog is guarding something, it must be super valuable. I mean, c'mon. Who would use that thing as a guard dog for anything else?"

Hermione nodded. "Sure, but why would Snape go after whatever it is? He is a professor."

"He is also an evil git. He probably wants whatever kind of riches are down there."

Neville just shook his head. Sure he didn't like Snape all that much but Ron's hatred for the man was a bit extreme. But that was just Ron. He was always passionate about things. Quidditch. Food. Hate for Snape. It was shamefully predictable, but when it came to Ronald Weasley, Neville appreciated the predictable. "You know," Neville interrupted, "even if you are right Ron, what does this have to do with us? We cannot even get out of a fight with something incredibly dumb that it makes Crabbe seem intelligent. How are we supposed to handle Snape of all people?"

Ron looked at Neville incredulously as if he just said that Severus was the patron saint of orphans and puppies. But Neville wouldn't have anything to do with it. "Seriously Ron. What do we have to with this? I already almost died this year, and Gran was livid when she found out. I don't want to get anything that could put any of us back in that kind of spot. Especially when it concerns a three-headed dog!"

"Fluffy? Who told yer about Fluffy?"

The three Gryffindors swiveled in their seats to see Hagrid, the Groundskeeper, standing tall above them with an accusing look upon his face. Ron was the first to respond. "Fluffy? That thing has a name?

It was Ron's turn to receive a look as though he said something incredibly stupid. "Course. He's mine aint he? Bought him off a Greek chappie a few years back. Loaned him to Dumbledore to protect the… erm… never mind that."

"Protect what now?"

"Never you mind. You are supposed to stay away from Fluffy anyways. And what he guards is between Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel."

Hermione perked up. "So, there is a Flamel involved to?"

Hagrid became aggravated and left the library before he said anything more to the curious first years. Hermione immediately stood up and started pillaging the book shelves for information. Neville just shook his head. Obviously studying with his friends was over now that Hermione had the desire to research something else.

He quickly packed his bag up and decided he would rather spend the rest of his afternoon outside rather than cooped up with a situation he would rather not have anything to do with.

* * *

Wayne Hopkins was alone. Not by choice mind you, but because he simply had no one to be with. His only real friend and roommate was beaten down. With the last few days of not having Harry around, he realized just how much Harry filled in his life. Without him it seemed like a major part of him left and he didn't know why.

Since he had nowhere else to go, Wayne took the afternoon to go out to the lake. Thanks to the cold weather, the beachside was empty. It had yet to snow but it didn't stop the temperature to drop. But it didn't bother Wayne much as he lived most of his life in Northern Ireland where it was always cold. He just needed his winter coat, and he would be fine. But no other student would suffer the cold to bother him.

At least that was what he thought. He jumped when he saw Neville Longbottom sit silently beside him. He wasn't a person he was around much, really only saw him because Harry would invite Wayne around to study with him and Neville. He never found himself partaking in conversations with the Gryffindor as his shyness tended to take over. Sure, Neville was friendly enough but something about him made Hopkins wary.

"I bet you are out here for the same reason that I am, eh Hopkins?"

Wayne cautiously eyed his lakeside companion. "Wha-?"

"Harry, right. You miss him?"

Wayne paused for a few moments but nodded. He did miss Harry. "Yeah, I guess I do."

Neville nodded affirmatively. "I know we have only been here for a couple of months, but it is weird to not see him around. Not like he was loud about it but he would just be there. Calm and collected, and making sure that everything was okay. Know what I mean."

"I do," Wayne started. "But now that he is hurt, I started to realize just how much he was around and how much he really cared."

Neville looked over at the shy Hufflepuff. "What do you mean by that?"

Wayne just sat quiet for a moment. He really didn't want to talk about it, but that old feeling of mistrust in Neville seemed to evaporate and it was more like he _needed_ to trust him. "I've been a really awful person to Harry and he didn't stop trying to be a good friend to me."

The boy sighed heavily. "The first week of school, Harry helped me deal with some stuff and made life a bit easier. He was so caring that it started to scare me. I've never had that before, so when I had the first opportunity to get out, I took it. Instead of hanging around Harry I would ditch him to be around some third-year student. But Harry didn't care. He just kept pushing in his quiet way."

"I didn't notice at first so I thought I was getting away with it. But when we would read book in our dorm room he would always bring snacks. And it wasn't just for him, he would bring enough so that I could share with him. He never pushed it on me and yet I just pushed him away. I've been terrible to him. Even if he wakes up, I am not sure he is going to want to be my friend."

"When."

"Huh?"

"When he wakes up," Neville said. "If you don't mind me asking, if he was so caring, why did you try to avoid him? What scared you about it?"

Wayne just sat silent. He didn't want to get into it. He already felt bad about the whole thing, and he didn't want the Gryffindor to judge him for it. Neville sensed that he probably didn't earn the right to ask that question so he just started telling his own story.

"You know, I get it when you say that he cares a lot in a quiet way. All my life I have been put up as this savior of the world, magical prodigy, defeater of Dark Lords, the Boy-Who-Lived, and all that other nonsense. But the first time I met Harry, he didn't care about any of that. He was the first person to not treat me like some puffed up hero, either positively or negatively. In fact, the nickname he gave me was 'Neville Longbottom, boy who is pants at potions'."

Neville gave out a sad laugh. "He treats me like I am just another kid. This sounds really weird but that is all I wanted. Heck, even Ron asked about my scar within the first five minutes of meeting me. Harry doesn't care about any of that and just sees me for me. I just want to be normal, and he lets me."

Wayne leaned back until he felt his head touch the ground. That is how Harry made him feel. Normal. Not in a sense where he felt like he could be lost easily in a crowd, but that Harry could just see you and nothing else mattered. You were important to him yet he didn't make a big deal about it.

"You know Hopkins, I might not ever know or understand what made you ditch Harry. But if I know Harry, it won't matter to him. He will probably forgive you, give you another snack, and then promptly forget all about it. That is the Harry I know. He just understands."

Tears welled up inside the 'Puff. He hated that he knew that was exactly how Harry would act. He saw it in the night that Draco trapped him in a room with a bogart. He saw it when Harry would defend him from bullies. He saw it when Harry made sure that Draco was jinxed by the Weasley twins, all for him. He saw it in the selfless and little ways that Harry would protect him, whether it be making sure he was always eating at meals or getting homework done or keeping the Slytherins off his back. Wayne saw that in Harry, and that made it all that much worse.

"You are right Longbottom." Wayne started. "He would do that, but it just makes me feel worse, ya know? I let him down."

Neville didn't know how to answer to that. He had never guilt like that and he didn't know how to make it any better. He laid back alongside Wayne and peered up at the sky watching the clouds roll by lazily. The sky had no cares, and didn't mind that the two eleven-year-olds struggled with missing their friend.

After a few minutes of silence Wayne spoke back up. "When I was in primary school, my parents lived in Surrey. It's a muggle town. My mom grew up there since she is a muggleborn and she wanted me to learn a little bit about where she came from. Unfortunately, my parents don't make a bunch of money and they both have to work long hours. So I didn't get to see them very often and they sent me to a muggle school to learn how to read and write cause they couldn't hire a private tutor like some of the richer pureblood families."

"At that school, there was this group of bullies. Their leader looked like a baby whale and his best friend had this weird rat look. They terrorized the school whenever the teachers weren't looking. One day, when I was about six, they decided to pick on me. One of them pushed my pretty hard and I fell and broke my arm. My magic reacted to the threat, tying all of their shoes to their neighbor's shoes and gave them all a good push back."

"I couldn't explain to them about magic cause they were muggles, and it just freaked them all out. They started to call me a freak and from that point on they made my life miserable. Any time that I would get a friend, they would beat them up until they left me alone. Everyone got the hint and left me alone so they wouldn't get beat up. That just meant that I was alone and that gang could do whatever they wanted."

"This lasted until I turned nine, when I lashed out again and burned everyone who touched me. Obliviators had to come out and change everyone's memories. My dad fretted over it and made us move to Northern Ireland so that we could get away from the muggles. He had been trying to get the school to act on the bullies for over a year, but according to everyone there those kids were perfect angels."

"I guess when Harry came around, I just expected things to carry on normally and he would just leave me alone like everyone else. So I didn't want to bother getting attached cause he would just get bored or would realize I am a freak. Then I would just be all alone again but this time hurt because I would lose a friend. I didn't want that," Wayne finished quietly.

"So if that was the case, why did you run to go be friends with that third year?"

"Cedric…" Wayne hesitated. "Cedric saved me from a bogart and I kind of saw him as a hero. And he is very nice to me. I just latched on to that cause he was older and maybe he could protect me from bullies. If I was friends with someone bigger, then the bullies would just leave me alone. Or so I thought. The more I am around the more I see his friends tease him and he gets a sad look. I don't think it is a real friendship and I don't think he wants me around, but I just ignored it cause he was so nice."

"Well Hopkins, I think you should stop hanging around him if he isn't really your friend. Plus, I think after this, we can be friends. You come around sometimes to do homework anyways, and I know it makes Harry happy to have you there. So instead of just Harry, you can count me as a friend."

"Plus, we need to band together to protect Harry. I know he likes to look out for you, but we should return the favor. I know Malfoy isn't here right now, but he will come back. We need to make sure that him and his goons don't try anything again when it comes to Harry. And I am pretty sure he is hiding something big. I don't need to know what it is but I want to help him in any way I can."

Wayne nodded. "Yeah, I can be on board for that. For Harry. That is how we can pay him back for being such a good friend. And thanks…"

Neville frowned. "Thanks for what?"

"For being a friend," Wayne whispered as he ducked his away to hide his embarrassment.

"Of course, Hopkins. Call me Neville."

"If only you call me Wayne."

"Gotcha. Well, let's go. I want to see – "

Neville was interrupted by a paper airplane hitting him in the head. Confused he grabbed at it and opened it up. It only held three words, words he had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity.

… _Harry woke up…_


	7. Chapter 7

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Seven**

 **Potter and Lupin**

 _November 4_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Monday_

The sterile environment within a Hospital wing would do well to drive anyone nuts after an extended time spent within it. Everything was just too clean. It made sense as it would help fight off any infections or sicknesses for patients. Unlike a muggle hospital where chemicals were used to make sure everything was sterilized, Hogwarts used magic. To a normal witch or wizard there wouldn't be any noticeable difference. But to a dark creature like Remus Lupin who had a very sensitive nose? It made the room seem lacking. The spells used got rid of every smell that could be taken in. It would be like as if someone cut the nose off of his face.

But he didn't want to stay in the sense depriving hell. He hated it when he was a teen and was in and out of the place each month during the full moon. But now he found himself within the unpolluted realm of Madam Pomfrey once again. And it was all due to his "nephew's" condition. He had been watching over him for the last four days straight, watching as the boy's chest slowly rose and collapsed with uneven breathing. The bruising that covered his chest, neck, and arms was starting to fade into a sickly yellow color now that a week had passed but it was still a struggle. Harry hadn't woken up yet from his magically self-induced coma, and Remus was starting to get nervous.

Wizards tended to have a quick healing ability thanks to magic. If the wizard's own magic didn't heal an issue, then a spell or a potion would do the trick. When one was a werewolf, the healing time was dramatically reduced even from a wizard standpoint. It had to be, due to the toll transformations took on the body each and every month. But to watch as a week pass by and Harry had yet to completely heal was a bit concerning. It really showed just how close he was to dying.

The St. Mungo's healer that was on call would give a daily report that proved that the internal damage done to Harry was in fact healing despite the fact it was resistant to external magic. They wouldn't know if the trauma would affect Harry's mental capacity once he woke up, but they had every reason to believe that he would be the same as he was before the incident.

As a result, Remus had yet to leave the wing in order to watch over Harry in hopes to be there when he woke up. He had seen when Neville and his lot came in after the troll fiasco but couldn't bring himself to care about them. Sure, a troll let loose in the school was an awful breach of security, but it completely avoided the Infirmary so Remus paid it no mind. Harry was more important than some kids from Gryffindor, even if Harry considered one of them friends.

This was the place that Albus Dumbledore found him just past dawn. The old headmaster gave a deep sigh and brought his hand to place lightly down on Lupin's shoulder. It wouldn't do to startle a distressed werewolf, which was a difficult endeavor to do but with as distracted as he was it would be much easier. "Remus, my boy. I have something for you."

Remus didn't move much other than to bring up tired eyes to Albus. He was listening, but didn't have the willpower to move or answer him.

"Remus, there have been some inquiries about Harry's guardianship. Lucius Malfoy is trying to figure out more about the boy, and since he is the son of James and Lily, he is at risk from the magical world trying to interfere. As such, I need you to make a more permanent decision concerning his guardianship, and soon."

"What are you talking about Albus?" Remus asked lamely.

"The Ministry currently views Harry as a ward of the state. I've been able to hide his status until now to make sure that you get to keep him in your house without question about you or Harry, especially concerning your monthly conditions. But with Lucius starting to get his nose into these matters, we need to do something more permanent where he can find no loophole."

"I could get you into a foster home status for taking care of him but it can be refuted and subject to observation, which we cannot do without revealing both of you as werewolves. I would not recommend that course of action."

Remus looked back at Harry. He wanted to keep him safe. He was in danger of the government and it was all his fault. He couldn't abandon the boy now. "What do you recommend?"

"I have been able to gather a few connections and documents to speed through a proper adoption, making Harry your son in the eyes of the legal system. I can even get it processed so that it would look as though it took place back in 1981 just shortly after James and Lily's murder. It would work as their wills have given you parentage rights since Sirius has been incarcerated."

"So you are going to illegally create these documents?" Remus was baffled. Albus was never one to break the law. Sure, he bent the rules occasionally and used loopholes and such, but to blatantly break the law? This was absurd.

Albus sighed in response. "Normally I wouldn't. But we cannot risk Lucius getting control of Harry and leaking out that he is a werewolf. This would be the only way to ensure your position as guardian that the Ministry couldn't fight."

Remus nodded. "How long do we have to think this over. I would want Harry's opinion about this. This affects him just as much as it does me. He has a right to make a decision."

"Unfortunately, we do not have any time. I need your decision now and we have no idea when he will wake up. I am sure that Harry will understand just fine. I know he likes you being his guardian, and this won't change anything other than in a legal sense."

"Fine," Remus gave in. "I'll do it. But I won't change his name. He is a Potter and I cannot take that away from him unless he asks me to. "

"I'm glad you said that Remus. That makes things a bit easier to cover up, since he has been introduced as a Potter rather than a Lupin." Albus opened his cloak and brought out a small quill and a piece of parchment. "There is only one place you need to sign to make this go through, as it will magically fill in the rest. They are just standard adoption papers and I have made sure that there is nothing within that can harm you or Harry."

Lupin grabbed at the parchment and quill and took it to a nearby table. With an itching sensation on the back of his hand, he signed with a flourish as the quill magically took his blood to sign the page. He handed it all back to Dumbledore and sat back down exhaustedly into his chair once more.

"Excellent. I will get this taken care of immediately. Have no worries about this Remus, Harry will stay right where he needs to be." Albus said with a cautious smile. He patted the werewolf's shoulder and left him in his vigilant watch over Harry.

Hours later, Remus made a small effort to lunch as to keep up his strength for more sitting around and watching the painful breathing. He struggled through a sandwich, made from the Hogwarts house-elves. It was tasty enough but it seemed to turn to ash on his tongue. The wolf was starting to get antsy again and the distraction of food wasn't enough anymore.

But he was aroused from his self-pity by a sharp intake of air from the small form that sat up like a shot. Harry woke up, but found it hard to breathe and started to hyperventilate in his panic. Remus allowed his plate and unfinished meal to drop to the floor in a clatter in order to embrace his now son. It would only cause him harm if he continued on this way.

He started to whisper soothing words into the boy's ear as he tightened his grip around the small frame. If he started to lash out it could possibly end up with him hurt or his magic going out of control. "Harry, it's okay. I'm here. It's me, Remus. It's Uncle Moony. I need you to breathe for me, okay? Breathe in and out and calm down."

Harry started to struggle against him, fear and water filling his eyes It was as if he didn't recognize the man holding him or even the reality around him. He tried to claw and bite his way out but Remus held on strong, knowing that Harry was too weak to do any real harm. He just continued on holding tight and trying to coach Harry into breathing regularly.

But without warning, Harry froze completely. Remus recognized that his breathing was even, heart rate normal as if nothing had happened. It was a haunting thing to experience, watching the panicked child suddenly still. Remus jolted away, trying to find what had caused such an immediate response. He looked the boy up and down, seeing that everything was unharmed beyond the injuries he had already sustained. It was as if he was just struck by lightning and froze in place. He couldn't figure it out. That is, until he saw Harry's eyes were no longer green but an angry amber.

"Sorry Remus. I needed to calm him down," the wolf within Harry said. "He isn't quite asleep since he is aware of everything going on right now, but he let me have control for the moment."

"What!?"

"Remus, I need you to calm down. I can barely keep Harry calm at the moment. If you would be so kind as to do the same and just start explaining where we are, it might help him out."

"Oh," Remus said with a deep breath. "Well, you are in the Hospital Wing. You have been here for just under a week in a coma."

The other-Harry nodded as he took a moment to process the information. "I assume this has to do with Malfoy and his goons?"

"Yes. When they hit Harry with their spells, he landed head first to the second floor of the castle after falling from the third. There was massive head trauma that caused his magic to revert inwards and focus on keeping you alive. It has only been maybe twenty-four hours since it was released to heal the rest of your body."

"It was bad then huh?"

"As much as it pains me to say this and it probably won't help Harry, but you almost died."

The other-Harry grimaced, pain shooting in his eyes. "You are right. That didn't help Harry. What of Malfoy?"

"Well, since his father has his gold in many pockets, he was only suspended for roughly sixty days and is required to pay for all medical expenses and a replacement for Harry's wand."

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously, changing from the fierce amber back to his jade green. "Replace my what!" he shouted.

"Your wand Harry. It was found broken in three spots in your pocket. You landed awkwardly on it and caused it to break."

Harry's eyes began to water once more. He didn't live a life where he went without, but the connection he had with his wand was special. It was HIS! But now it was gone. It was gone and he was just expected to replace it like it was only a spare piece of wood. This wasn't fair!

"So, Malfoy gets away with it with just a slap on the wrist and a fine, while I almost die and destroy my wand? How is that fair?"

"It's not Harry. And trust me, I've been angry about it since the punishment was handed down. But Lucius is too well connected and if Albus didn't concede on that particular punishment, this could have been fought for a long time and eventually forgotten or reduced to just a few detentions. Even Albus knows it's nonsense and hates it, but his hands were tied."

Remus took the raven-haired boy back into his arms. "I know this isn't fair in the slightest pup, I understand that. But I want you to know that I am here for you, no matter what happens from here on out. No one can take you from me."

Harry looked up, but the green was gone from his eyes. "What are you talking about Remus?" Other-Harry questioned.

Remus ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out the best way to break the news that he had adopted the boy sitting in front of him. "Lucius didn't take this lying down. He has been diving into our history, trying to figure out our relationship. Albus believes that he is out to remove you from my custody any way he can. It would be a good move for him to hurt us in retaliation for the humiliation he is facing because of his son."

"Albus had to take drastic measures to ensure that you stay with me considering we are both unregistered werewolves. If Lucius found out, it would end badly for the both of us. Just a simple foster home situation could be easily manipulated and Lucius would have power over you. So he wanted me to take the one step that could not be fought against no matter how much Lucius schemed."

Harry looked at Remus with curiosity, eyes turning back to their normal green. The talk about broken wands was left behind as he tried to guess at what his uncle was leading up to. He didn't have to wait very long before he got his answer. "Harry, I officially adopted you to be my son this morning."

Remus hesitated as the information sank in. This was the turning point. Harry could either take this really well or really badly, though he couldn't tell which it was going to be. Harry's face was blank, giving no evidence of what was going through his mind as Remus watched helplessly on. But in a flash, Harry tightened his hold on Remus, squeezing as hard as an injured eleven year old could.

"Do you really mean it?" the boy sobbed out. "Are you really going to be my dad now?"

Remus clung to the boy, rubbing his hair to offer comfort from the heavy emotions. "Yes Harry. According to the Ministry of Magic, you are officially my son now."

Harry pulled back, tears running down his face but a huge smile on his face. "You really mean it? This is the best gift ever! It's not even Christmas or my birthday."

It was Remus's turn to be stunned. He wasn't really expecting this kind of reaction. The pessimist inside him thought that everything would go wrong and that Harry would hate him for going behind his back about this adoption. He nodded, staring into the excited boy's eyes before pulling him into another crushing hug.

They sat quietly like that for several minutes, letting the hug comfort the both of them after a draining week. Remus hated the idea that this would end, wanting to hold his new son in his arms and keep him safe forever. He was going to hold on as long as he could though, the rest of the world be damned.

"Does this mean I'm Harry Lupin now?" Harry asked just barely over a whisper, uncertainty bleeding through.

"No Harry." Remus shaking his head. "I wanted you to keep the Potter name." Harry looked up at the older werewolf with a bit of hurt in his eyes. "It's not because I don't want you to Harry. Quite the opposite in fact. But part of it is people already know you as Harry Potter and the document that Albus is working on works retroactively which if we called you a Lupin, it would set off alarm bells that the document might be fake."

"I also want you to carry on the Potter name. Your parents loved you so much and I don't want you to forget that ever. If I can give you one gift from them, it's their name. But that does not mean that I think any less of you. If circumstances were different, I would be more than happy to give you the Lupin name. I have always thought of you as a son, and that will never change no matter if we have the documentation or not."

Harry stared questioningly, trying to find even an ounce of deception but finding none he nodded in acceptance. He leaned back into the hug, and just sat for a moment. "Thank you Uncle Remus… I mean… um…"

"It's okay Harry. You can call me whatever you want. I am not going to force you to call me dad unless you want to and are ready to."

"I can call you dad? That's okay?"

"Yes pup. Of course it is."

Harry curled further into Remus's chest and smiled. "Thank you. For everything."

"You bet pup. Though, I do have a question for you. Your friend Longbottom has been in here almost every day waiting for you to wake up. Would it be okay if I let him know you are up? I can do that while the Healers look you over now that you are awake."

Harry nodded, wiped away the tears from his eyes, and gave a big smile in return. "I'd like that."

Harry was of course fussed over by Pomfrey and the Healer from St. Mungo's almost immediately after Remus alerted the infirmary matron. They checked his mental health as well as making sure everything else was in working order for well over two hours. After some deliberation, the Healer and medi-witch decided to give him a clean bill of health, minus the few bruises that were still evident but those could be taken care of by simple bruise salves. He would have to stay in bed within reach over the next few days to be monitored, but he was overall in a good place.

Remus promised Harry that as soon as Madam Pomfrey gave the all clear to leave, they would immediately leave to go purchase a new wand. His bright mood over being adopted shrank a bit, remembering that he indeed was wandless at the moment. It began to eat away at him once again that things went horribly wrong for him while his attackers simply got a mini-vacation away from school. Remus hugged his new son as the boy began to cry again.

"Harry, I know things are bad right now and nothing seems fair, but it's going to be okay. I love you, your friends love you, and we all care about you a bunch. Things will be okay even if they hurt right now pup."

Harry sniffed back the remaining tears. He knew that his uncle was right, theoretically. But the last few hours of check-ups and influx of major news really drained him. He leaned back into the bed, and was soon covered by a blanket courtesy of the older werewolf. With a smile, he was told to get some rest and that his friends would be excited to see him soon. He closed his eyes and fell into a real sleep.

* * *

When Harry woke up it was dark out. He grabbed out for his wand, hoping to figure out what time it was and maybe get some light so he wouldn't be sitting in the dark. But when his hand hit the bedside table, he could only find a glass of water. That was strange, he always kept his wand nearby. Where did he…

"Oh right, broken." Harry muttered bitterly. He sat up in the bed, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes. He couldn't think straight as the memories of earlier that morning started to flood his mind. He wanted to feel like crying again, but found he felt empty more than anything. Like it wasn't worth shedding tears any more, or maybe he had none left to shed. He just huffed sadly and looked around the dark room that he was settled in.

It looked empty of people, other than himself. He didn't mind it, considering how late it must have been, but it was still a strange sight. He let some of his wolfish senses come to the surface, and took in a deep breath. There was a lapse in any scents other than himself, which he figured was due to the magic of the room. Madam Pomfrey did love a clean room, so it only made sense that it was be so clean that even scents were eliminated.

 _Being alone does have its advantages Harry…_

Harry's eyes shot up and scanned the room. He thought he was alone, so why was there a voice talking to him?

 _I know you hit your head hard Harry… but to forget about me already… shame…_

It then hit him. His wolf was talking to him. The sarcasm couldn't have been anyone else. And truth be told, he did forget about it. With everything going on, being a werewolf was not at the forefront of his mind. Yes, he knew that the wolf took control when things got out of hand hours earlier, but he was just so caught up in everything.

 _No worries Harry… I know how things have been… remember that I am you…_

It was all so familiar. Yes, he was two different people but the same. It would be hard to explain to someone who wasn't a werewolf themselves. Since Harry had dealt with it most of his life and definitely as far as he could remember, it was like second nature to him. He never had to consciously think about the wolf, though a separate name was still needed.

 _Yes… a name… I have the most interesting idea Harry…_

An idea? He had been thinking about various names for years and nothing ever fit. He started with Romulus since it would be a reference to his Uncle, but the wolf shot that down as soon as it was brought up. He then looked at various names for wolves in different languages, but they all seemed so disconnected. He didn't speak those languages, and other than the one trip to France, he had never left England. Other-Harry was always the best option for a long while.

 _That is the same vein of thinking that I am going… I am you… I am Harry… but with Moony has done we have a new option… You are and always be Harry Potter… Son of James and Lily Potter… But I exist because of Moony… He is my creator my father… I am Harry Lupin…_

That… that actually made a lot of sense. Harry knew that Remus was the one who bit him as a baby and was the cause of his lycanthropy. So in a sense, Remus was a father to him, even before the adoption and if he never took him in to be raised. He liked it. Potter and Lupin, just like his dads in school but now in one person.

 _I am glad you like it Potter… This may help us in the future when we finally have our pack…_

Right, the pack. Who was going to want to be his friend now? He was weak and was beaten to a pulp. He was useless. How could he be an alpha and protect others, even if none of the rest were wolves, if he couldn't protect himself. He was no alpha, and he didn't deserve a pack.

 _Hush Potter… That thinking is exactly what Malfoy would want in you… You cannot let yourself fall into that trap… You are eleven and you have time to grow up… To become strong…_

Harry sighed hesitantly. He wanted to believe it but it was hard to when he was confined to a hospital bed. How could Lupin be so confident in him? He saw everything when he was attacked.

 _Potter… If you cannot have faith in yourself… then rely on my faith instead… Feel weak now and rest but know that you will always be strong…_

That was a bit easier to accept. He wouldn't need to feel like he needed to continue being strong because someone else did for him. He was allowed to feel weak for a moment but with Lupin believing in him he wouldn't drown in his own self-pity.

Suddenly, a waft of a new scent hit Harry hard. Had he been anywhere else in the castle he would have probably not noticed but with the sterile air he was living in, it was hard to sneak in. He turned towards the door that led into the hall to see a weedy looking boy sneak in. His brown hair cut short, blue eyes gleaming in the moon light. Harry didn't recognize who it was other than he knew it was a first year that he had seen around the castle during classes.

The boy glanced around the room, probably trying to find anything that would lead to him being caught in the infirmary after curfew. Seeing none, but realizing he was being watch by a very awake Harry, he smirked and moved towards the Hufflepuff. He grabbed a chair on his way over and placed it at the foot of the bed. His eyes never left Harry, as if he was analyzing the boy and trying to find something hidden about him.

Harry was unnerved by the staring but the wolf within him seemed to go quiet. If Lupin was quiet, then maybe the boy in front of him wasn't a threat. Harry returned the stare but held more of a confused look on his face. He shrunk back a bit more, no longer wanting to be under the gaze of the mysterious boy. "Um, hello."

"Hello Harry Potter. My name is Theodore Nott."

* * *

Deep within the castle, Albus Dumbledore stood in a near empty room. His latest deliver had just arrived and he was excited to receive it. Standing before him was the fabled Mirror of Erised. It took some convincing of the current owner to allow him to borrow it for the year, but his persistence finally paid off.

He considered that he would probably did not need it initially to protect the Philosopher's Stone, but something was off about his current Defense professor. Something dark was residing in him, but Albus could not figure it out. It did not help that the strong smell of garlic tended to distract him from any kind of suspicion. But if he had to add a personal defense for the stone just case, then so be it. One could never be too safe.

The protections of the stone that were currently up thanks to the teachers were a bit underwhelming but he was glad for it. They were not there as the strongest means of hindrance, no that title belonged to the wards of the school that would keep threats out. No, they were meant as an irritating distraction that would slow down any treasure hunter to allow Albus to catch them before they made it to the stone. Honestly, most were at a first year's level but each had a secret that made them dangerous.

Hagrid's pet dog was ferocious, but it wasn't well known that simple music would put it to sleep. That alone would be able to keep most curious eyes away. No, the challenges lie with his Gryffindor and Slytherin Heads. Minerva set up a beautiful chess set that a person had to play to make it through the room. The dark secret though was that it also forced the unsuspecting trespasser to step into the game themselves. They had to think of a strategy that not only allowed them to win, but to survive.

Severus on the other hand set up an interesting logic puzzle. It seemed silly, but after many years of teaching and interacting with the public, Albus knew that logic was not a strong suit of the wizarding world. They were so entrenched with magic that made the impossible possible, that logic was very seldom needed. Severus took advantage of the sweeping weakness of the wizarding world in an attempt to protect the most valuable stone. It helped that the poisons used would cause paralysis and extreme pain.

But if the darkness within Quirrel was even remotely related to what Albus suspected, it would not be enough. He need yet another layer of protection against evil intentions. Hence, the mirror. The mirror that would show a person their deepest heart's desire to them, but only them. It was an interesting phenomenon, that, if you were not aware of the enchantment, you could waste away in front of it in pursuit of mere fantasy.

Now, Albus wanted to find a way to hide the stone within the mirror, but that was going to be a difficult task. He needed to work around the pre-existing enchantments and that could possibly take time. He could do it, but it wouldn't realistically happen before the first of the year. He had other duties that he needed to take care of.

Deciding that staring at the mirror for the rest of the night was not in his best interest, he gave a heavy sigh and turned away from the haunting image reflected towards his gaze. He knew it was a helpless fantasy and that the image shown would never happen. It was an impossibility that he could only fault himself for.

He left the room with one last glance towards the mirror. There stood a younger image of him, standing with a smiling little girl and a proud older brother. But while he knew that his family would never be like that again, he looked at the fourth person. A tall but attractive man, holding Albus hand in hand, a loving gaze within his eye. Albus smiled fondly but sadly. This was a most difficult fantasy to deal with.

And so he closed the door and let the impossible dream shimmer out of existence. The Mirror of Erised was a most dangerous trap for even the best of men.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Eight**

 **Theodore Nott**

 _November 5_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Tuesday, 1:00 am_

"Hello Harry Potter. My name is Theodore Nott."

"Erm… nice to meet you," Harry responded hesitantly. "And don't take this the wrong way, but isn't it a bit late for a visit?"

Theodore let out a soft chuckle. "I suppose it is a bit late. But I wanted to see you when you woke up, and I think that due to the circumstances a Slytherin would be most unwelcome company when everyone else is around."

Harry's eyes widened. He wasn't expecting that. If the boy was admitting all of this, that he was a Slytherin and knew that people would not be happy to have him around, what was his purpose here? Was he here to make life worse because of what happened to Malfoy?

"I am not here to attack you Potter," Theodore said shaking his head as if he could hear Harry's thoughts. "I am actually here for the complete opposite. I want to, on behalf of myself and all of Slytherin house, apologize for the unwarranted attack by Draco Malfoy."

This stunned Harry. He wasn't expecting that kind of response from the boy before him. An apology? He didn't think that any of the Slytherins liked him, especially with the way that Snape treated him. It was clear the Head of House was thoroughly against him, so why would a Slytherin apologize instead of gloat. "I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"Understand what? An apology? I didn't think you were that dense Potter."

Harry shook his head. "No, I know what an apology is. What I don't understand is why. Why are _you_ apologizing to me?"

Theodore nodded in understanding. "That makes a bit more sense. I assume that you think that all Slytherins either dislike you personally or dislike Hufflepuff house as a whole? And that due to that dislike, we would never lower ourselves to such a low person as yourself and admit wrong humbly?"

"Well… not entirely, but yes."

"I'll admit that yes, Draco Malfoy does not like you. That is something we can agree on. But as for the whole house? No, Slytherins are not so wholesomely hateful. You could describe our attitude towards you to be more apathetic than anything. And while there is a reputation of Slytherins being rather cold towards other houses, it is more out self-preservation and wariness."

"We are not all evil, I would have you know. It is unfortunate that what the world knows of Slytherins is based on the reputations of loud mouths like Malfoy. Yes, there is a large group that holds to a stricter pureblood opinion, but very few are the Death Eaters most students imagine we are. Most just want to live life like everyone else."

"So, with that being said, I once again offer our apologies."

Harry was still wary of the boy, since this was going against what he knew of the house of snakes, but had to admit that his opinions were based on Malfoy and Snape alone. It was a bot unfair for him to think that everyone was like those two. "Thank you, and I accept and appreciate it. But I still don't understand why you are here. Or why you are apologizing for a whole house because of what one person did."

"It is simple. Draco Malfoy has shamed our house. We have a few rules you need to know. First, we do not start fights, merely end them. Based on the evidence that we have as a house, we know you are not at fault. Draco obviously broke this rule, and I doubt this was the only time. Second, he has made every Slytherin student subject to malicious assumption because of his attack on you. He has been a slight irritation for some time, which we could ignore, but to hurt you like he did forced us to pay attention. We have all been shamed because of him, and so we want to make reparations. To restore our house's honor."

"So," Harry interrupted, scandalized. "You are apologizing so that you guys look good again?"

"Yes and no," Nott explained. "Yes, we want to restore the honor we lost, but if it was entire just for that we would be having this conversation in the Great Hall. I'm not so heartless as to think I can use you further like that. No, I want you to know that I, along with the House, am sincere about this, not just for the public image. Draco was our responsibility and we let him get out of hand. So, for that, I am sorry."

"I guess that makes sense. But what do you mean he was your responsibility? You guys can't just run each other's lives."

"In order for you to understand what I mean by that, I need you to understand how our house operates. That should make things a little bit clearer on what I mean and why I am apologizing for this."

"Slytherin is built on the idea of royalty and courts. Each year has their own leader and their right hand, and they 'rule' over the rest of those in the year. This can be done in any way that the leader desires, anything from totalitarian rule to servant leadership. They are in charge of their year and make sure that they do not embarrass Slytherin house. This means behavior and academic achievement. Each year runs autonomously, and it is an unwritten rule that influence of other years is forbidden."

"So the leader and their second influence their year to various degrees. Montague runs his year, and it drifts towards being Death Eater sympathizers. But his influence cannot go into the year below, which has taken to being a more neutral mindset and does not persecute openly those considered less than pureblood. Each leader takes the position by force, so that only the strong may lead. The only exception to that role would be the first and second years."

"First and second years are influenced by parental importance. Our year has been run by Malfoy for the last few months due to the position his father holds. This wouldn't change normally until we have a more than basic level of understanding of magic and politics. Very few have ever side stepped that and taken over before the third year. The rest of the year follows that leader, but is charged with accountability to make sure that the leader is worth his position and upholds the respect demanded of the best of Slytherin."

"But the one thing that will ultimately remove a person from their position of power is shaming the house of Slytherin, as Malfoy has done. I admit that, because of the nature of our house, had he not gotten caught he would have been left in power. The only reason he will be removed is because he was caught and thus punished with a very public suspension. Everyone knows what he did and was made a black spot upon Slytherin reputation. Stains are meant to be removed and so when he returns he will be. I will be taking his place. I am now the leader of the first years."

Harry was blown away by the revelation of the inner workings of the house. It sounded exhausting, trying to live a life within all the politics. Never had he been so glad for the simplicity of Hufflepuff than that very moment. But it started to make sense.

"So, what you are saying," Harry questioned, "is that now that you are taking Malfoy's place, you have to clean up his mess?"

"In a nutshell, yes. Officially, what he did to you was uncalled for. Personally, while I have no connection to you, I am rather upset that he would do such a thing to you. So, as a result, my year has come to a vote concerning you and your continued existence here at Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes widened with fear. "A vote? A vote for what?"

"Well, Pansy Parkinson wanted to move that we injured you further for putting her, and I quote, "Draky poo" in trouble. She was immediately shot down so you can breathe easy. But the vote that we needed is that each year has an ability to offer protection to a member of Hogwarts that is outside of Slytherin house. We don't have to use it and most years wont. But with Parkinson's feeling stated and your history with Draco, I felt it would be best to bring up the possibility."

"What kind of protection?" Harry asked.

"With the official protection, first and foremost you are protected from any Slytherin who would wish you any ill will. To harm one under protection is political suicide and they cannot recover from it. They become social outcasts so to say. Secondly, if deemed necessary, you get protection from Hogwarts as a whole. I don't believe you will need that as you seem nice enough, but if it ever became an issue we can enforce it."

"That's great and all, but that sounds exhausting. I am not sure if I could keep up with all that. And I don't want to be trouble for anyone."

Nott began to rub his forehead in exasperation. "I didn't realize how difficult this is to explain to someone who isn't a snake. And a Hufflepuff on top of that," he muttered to himself.

"Potter, I am just letting you know as a courtesy. It has already been approved, so it's yours and it cannot be revoked ever. "

"Not be revoked? That seems a bit extreme. What if I do something wrong or insult the Slytherins?"

"This is the reason we don't offer this all the time. In the last thirty years, it has been used twice before you. But you could be the Dark Lord resurrected and we wouldn't be able to revoke it. We are doing this because of the attacks against you and the shame we carry. We are willing to use the next seven years to try and make up for it."

"I… I guess I am honored. Is there anything I need to do?

"Do?"

"You know, to make it official?"

Nott laughed. "No Potter. This isn't some kind of bargaining agreement. You are the wronged party here. You have 'paid all the dues' already and now it is on us. All that we ask is that you wear a token that lets the other Slytherins know the situation and remember in the future just in case."

"What kind of token are you taking about?"

Nott put a hand deep within a robe pocket and pulled out a shimmering thin bracelet. "This is a treasure from House Nott. If you choose to wear this, it will be understood that you are under the protection of House Slytherin as well as House Nott. I choose to add the personal protection because I should have stopped Malfoy earlier but I didn't. Your situation isn't my fault by any means, but all it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing."

Harry stared at the bracelet. It was a beautiful braided piece of metals, but simple. It smelled off but he was drawn to it, as if it was irresistible.

 _Potter… do not touch that bracelet… its silver…_

That shook Harry out of his awe. Remus had always warned him about silver, that the cool metal would burn him at the slightest touch. If left unattended, the metal would burn into his bloodstream and race towards his heart. Remus didn't have to expound on that beyond that it would lead to an extremely painful death for a werewolf.

"I-I can't accept that. It's your family's and must be very expensive. I am honored, really I am. But I can't take that," trying to deny the gift without revealing anything.

"Potter, I insist. My family has too much stuff and this was just sitting in our vaults gathering dust. I think that this is much better use, don't you think?"

Harry shook his head. "I can't wear it."

Not stood up and walked closer to Harry. He held out the small bracelet towards him earnestly. "Potter, I promise. It isn't a big deal. Here, I'll help you put it on."

Nott swept up Harry's wrist and moved to place the metal around it. Harry's eyes widened with fear and let out a whimper. He knew this was going to hurt like mad. He looked up fearfully at Nott, wishing he would stop. But it didn't deter the boy.

Within centimeters of the silver, Harry's eyes began to burn amber and he let out an inhuman snarl. He ripped his wrist away and pushed the Slytherin boy away. He continued to growl forcefully while Nott's expression ran from confusion to fear to a strange calm.

"I suppose that is why you can't wear it. It would kill you wouldn't it."

Lupin the wolf let out a growl of confirmation but didn't answer. Nott continued. "Well, I wasn't suspecting something like this, but it can't be avoided now."

"I can't let you leave here with this kind of information Nott," Lupin snarled out.

Nott raised his hands in surrender. "I made a promise of protection, and I aim to keep it. Part of that protection means keeping this secret. It doesn't matter if you are a werewolf or not. In fact, you are going to need my protection even more since I doubt you are registered. If you had been, you wouldn't be here."

The amber eyes receded back to green and Harry let out a small unsure whisper. "You aren't going to turn me in? I could be dangerous!"

Theodore laughed as he stood up from the floor. "If you were dangerous, I doubt that the great Albus Dumbledore would allow you to be around children."

Harry flushed, not liking how the boy was talking about him. But before he could say anything else, Nott interrupted. "You are under our protection and it cannot be revoked. I'll find something else for a token, preferably silver free. Your secret is safe with me Harry Potter, I promise. If it wasn't, then I would face some very serious consequences not including meeting your wolf on a full moon."

The strange boy left Harry alone in the dark once more. It was strange, having his secret let out to a complete stranger yet promised that it would be kept quiet. Sure, there was still the chance that we would need to take care of the slip in his security, but he began to feel a bit lighter than he had at the beginning of the year. Sure, he only got acceptance because of some crazy Slytherin tradition, but it was acceptance all the same.

 _Maybe this Theodore Nott should be the first to be added to the pack…_

* * *

 _November 5_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Tuesday, 3:00 pm_

"So, when are you going to get out of here?"

Harry squirmed in his bed. He had spent the last hour catching up with Neville Longbottom, things like classes, the aftermath of the Malfoy incident, and the troll. He was starting to get restless, being kept in bed all day. The question Neville had just asked made the feeling all the more prevalent.

"I am hoping soon. I bet by Thursday since they need to do a few more check-ups to make sure I am healthy to be up and moving around."

"Well, that's good. Let me tell you, Potions and Herbology are just not the same without you. Ron hates plants, only talking about quidditch during class, and I don't have a partner to keep Snape off my back since everyone else has a permanent partner," Neville joked.

"Well, in that case, I'll make sure I am able to make it to Potions on Friday. Can't have you blowing something up and ending up here next to me involuntarily. You already had that problem with a troll," Harry laughed back.

They both sunk into a comfortable silence, grateful for each other's company. Harry was glad to have a friend around to stave off the loneliness. Neville was just glad that his friend didn't die and would be back to normal soon. But while thinking about his friendship with Harry, he started to think of his friendships with Ron and Hermione which brought back memories of their scheming concerning the third floor.

"Harry, you know how I told you about the dog on the third floor? The one with three heads?"

Harry looked over at his friend, curiosity bleeding through. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well," Neville started, "Hermione and Ron are convinced that someone is after whatever it is guarding. Hermione doesn't have any guesses, but Ron is stuck on blaming Snape. And we found out that whatever is down there involves a guy named Flamel."

Harry scratched his head as he thought it through. "Well, I know Snape is a git, but why would he be a suspect? We can't just assume that he is evil just because he acts more like a vampire than a wizard."

Neville laughed at the poorly attempted joke. "Yeah, he does act a bit like a bloodsucking bat doesn't he. Swooping all over the place." The boys started giggling at the thought. "But when Ron and I were trying to rescue Hermione from the troll, we saw Snape run towards the forbidden corridor. A few days later, we saw him limping around from an injury. I think Ron suspects that the dog bit him."

"It doesn't look good for him, I'll say that," Harry surmised. "But it isn't enough evidence against him. You are going to need more evidence I think. But how did you find out about Flamel?"

"We were talking about the dog in the library and Hagrid overheard us. And get this, the dog is his and he named it Fluffy! Who names such a beast a harmless name like Fluffy?"

Harry's grin spread dangerously, "Well, Hagrid is a bit odd and he is the only person who could possibly walk a three-headed dog on a leash. He probably sees Fluffy as a big cuddly creature."

"I think he is barking mad, honestly. But anyways, Hagrid let slip that whatever Fluffy is guarding is between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel. Hermione has been on a rampage ever since to find out who he is, but she hasn't figured it out yet. She has probably consumed all of modern history and she can't even find a hint of who he is."

"She is looking in the wrong place then. She will never find him going through that."

Neville scrunched up in confusion. "What do you mean? Do you know who he is?"

"Yeah, he is an Alchemist. He lived in the 1300s, so he wouldn't be in modern history."

"How did you know that? I didn't know you were into alchemy."

"I'm not," Harry denied. "But Herbology goes into various fields, such as potions, but also is a major component of true alchemy. In the herbology field, he is famous for crafting magical plants like nirnroot, but around the world he is famous for creating the infamous Philosopher's Stone."

"The Philosopher's Stone? What the heck is that?"

"Well, legend has it that Flamel created the stone with two major properties. One, it can transmutate any metal into gold, making the user impossibly rich. Second, and the reason the Stone is sought after, it produces a potion known as the Elixir of Life which grants the drinker immortality. A load of tosh if you ask me, but that is what the legend says."

"That is amazing! But if he lived so long ago, why would he be involved here? He must have died by now."

"He did," the Hufflepuff confirmed. "He officially died in the year 1418."

"Why do you know so much about him? You are almost like Hermione with all that knowledge stored up in that brain of yours. Why didn't you end up in Ravenclaw?"

Harry blushed, "Well, I found him a few years ago when I was studying nirnroot and got hooked on his other works. It is really dense stuff and I can't pretend to understand all of it, but his life was pretty interesting. He was kind of a hero for me for a while cause I wanted to make new magical plants. I wanted to know everything about him."

"Well, Hermione is going to be upset I found Flamel first and without even trying," Neville teased.

"Well, now I am curious. How do you feel about all of this?"

"What do you mean?"

"So far I have heard you tell me about Ron and Hermione's feelings on this, but what about you?"

Neville shuffled in his seat uncomfortably. Harry could tell something was bothering his friend even before this. He avoided any personal attachment to the story. Everything else he put himself within the drama, but this he left himself out.

"Honestly Harry? I hate the mystery. Hermione and Ron are diving head first into this, but less than a week ago, I almost died. How can I possibly want to be involved in something that Dumbledore said would bring a very painful death right after coming so close to dying? We are only eleven, for goodness sake. How are we supposed to do anything about whatever it is that is passed Fluffy? And if it is an adult, how are we supposed to stop them?"

The Gryffindor dropped his face into his hands. "I must be the worst Gryffindor of all time. There is adventure out there and all I want to do is stay as far away as I can."

Harry stretched out a hand and patted his friend's shoulder. "I don't think you are a terrible Gryffindor. Just because you got sorted there doesn't mean you can't have a brain and rush into every dangerous situation possible. If you don't want to be a part of it, don't be. It isn't any of our business anyways. As you already said, you faced a troll. I think that is more than every other Gryffindor in the school."

Neville let a feeble grin show. This is why he had missed Harry. He would give acceptance for what Neville wanted, not what was expected of him. "But if this is dark magic, shouldn't the 'Boy-who-lived' do something about it? Isn't it my duty?"

Harry just snorted at him. "Duty? You are eleven. You can barely brew potions right, so why would you be expected to fight off dark magic? You don't have any duty. Well, other than classes, but that doesn't need to be said. Remember, you are just Neville and I will always see you as just Neville. Not what the world wants to see you as but as my friend who happens to be a Gryffindor. If you don't want to take part in Ron and Hermione's adventure, don't."

Before Neville could respond, the Infirmary doors opened. The boys turned towards the interruption to see Theodore Nott walking towards them. Neville was confused by the presence of the Slytherin but Harry was more surprised that everything he thought he had dreamed the night before was most definitely not a dream. Nott was serious about it all.

Without a word, Nott flipped a dull metal item towards Harry who only caught it thanks to his wolf reflexes. Harry took his eyes off the mysterious Slytherin and took a glance at what he had caught. It didn't burn, so it clearly wasn't silver like the bracelet from earlier. No, it was rather a small ring made of some kind of cold steel.

"Potter, that goes on your pinky. It is only made of Russian Bulat Steel so it shouldn't contain anything… unnecessary in it." As he said this, Nott glanced warily at the Longbottom child, unsure if he was aware that his friend was a werewolf. "I told you this was serious. As long as you wear that, all of Slytherin will know not to touch."

Before Harry or Neville could say anything in response, the Slytherin briskly walked out of the Infirmary.

Neville twisted quickly to face Harry once more, watching as he eyed the ring silently before placing it on his hand. "What the BLOODY HELL WAS THAT!"

Without looking up from the ring, Harry responded. "Apparently, thanks to Malfoy's attack on me, all of Slytherin has put me under their protection from the rest of the school, including themselves. It is their way of saying sorry for this whole mess."

Neville was baffled. Of all the explanations that he could have received. This day could not get any stranger. At least, that was what he thought before Harry started to explain the conversation he had during the early morning.

* * *

 _November 5_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Tuesday, 7:00 pm_

Theodore Nott strode through the school towards the dungeons. It was easy to miss the brown haired boy unless you were specifically looking for him. He prided himself in being able to slip by unnoticed because it allowed him to do whatever he needed without notice. It was easy to be a Slytherin without being cautiously watched by everyone in the school. Why be out in the open like a Malfoy, when you could be so much more productive behind the scenes.

And productive he had been. He started the early morning off with a nice meeting with Potter in the infirmary. Yes, the Slytherin house first years gave a vote to give him protection as restitution for the Malfoy attack, but few actually thought it through to the extent that Nott did. He knew this was an opportunity to possibly get close to Potter as a possible friend.

He didn't much care if he could or not. There wasn't anything initially special about the Hufflepuff. His House was a joke, he was a war orphan half-blood, he talent only showed up in Herbology and Potions, and had no grand ambitions to speak of. But a friendship gave him two rather nice opportunities for him.

First, and the most obvious one that he was seeking, was an opportunity to get close to the Longbottom heir without coming across as a needy fanboy or a definitive enemy. He could start off as a friend of a friend, and that connection could lead to various dealings that would originally be closed to him due to his name and house. It was best to keep one's options open, and this was the best way to succeed at that.

The second though was not something he had planned. He would have never guessed that inside the shy Hufflepuff there was a raging monster. Because they gave protection before that information came to light, Nott could not do anything about it without breaking the Slytherin code, so he needed to reconsider how this would benefit him. And the more he considered it, it began to look up for him. Having a werewolf on your side was never a bad thing whenever you got into a fight, and he was very aware that a werewolf with Hufflepuff tendencies would be extremely loyal to their packs. He would just need to find a way to become a part of that "pack" as long as he wasn't turned into a beast himself.

But there was some danger there. He would not be able to betray Harry, not even once, without the threat of being torn apart. There were rumors could tell when someone was lying to them or came across as untrustworthy. If that were true, he would need to make sure he played nice with no ill intention if he wanted some of his plans to come to fruition.

Harry Potter was key to making sure that the Nott family could rise to prestige again. He was tired of being known as the son of a Death Eater. Maybe it was foolish to put all of his eggs in one basket, but this seemed like the easiest route to get things done. This also kept things where he could stay behind the scenes and not worry about being noticed doing "Slytherin" things. Things were going to be better, and if it meant using a poor unsuspecting Hufflepuff to do it, then so be it.

Theodore Nott would rise to the top, no matter who he had to step over.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Nine**

 **The Plotting Ways of Malfoys and Notts**

 _Draco,_

 _My dearest Draco, I must open with how much I terribly miss you. Hogwarts is simply not the same without you. It has grown dull here, and the clearly without you, the quality of company has dropped. Greengrass and Bulstrode are positively droll, and it does not help that Greengrass continues to associate herself with the half-blood Davis. Since you have been gone, they have all fancied themselves important, and it is a shame to see them strut around the castle as though they think that they are untouchable. I cannot wait until you are back and put these upstarts back into their places. They are surely annoying._

 _But I do not write you as to give you the latest gossip. Rather, there are two reasons that I believe you need to know about it. Things that I believe will not uplift your mood while you are gone, and really show that the standards of Slytherin are falling. Maybe your father may be able to do something about these unfortunate circumstances._

 _First, the upper years have convened The House Court and have decided that you will have your title as year leader will be stripped and given to Theodore Nott. The Court has decided that you shamed the house publicly with your attack on that mudblood Potter. I think they have all gone mad. Clearly the Court has become some kind of mixture of muggle-lovers and blood traitors. It is complete insanity, my dearest Draco. How could they possibly think that you have shamed the house when you were so close to removing a mudblood from the school like the Great Slytherin wanted. We don't need their nonsense here._

 _While I do not mind Nott, I do not think he will be able to measure up to you as a leader. He is much too quiet. He isn't a leader by any stretch of the word, and would rather allow others to speak. How can you possibly be a leader when you allow others to speak for you? Nott is a weak little thing and I think that you can take your spot back as soon as you return. Maybe you can send him a letter or meet with him over the holidays to let him know that he is merely keeping your seat warm._

 _But a seat warmer is not merely your worst problem. It was the things that he and the rest of the first year have decided upon. This is the second problem. As approved by the Slytherin Court, they have decided to give out our one Protection Oath for our year. Not that anyone would be deserving of it since only those who are worthy belong in Slytherin and do not need the protection, but now they have wasted it only three months into our schooling._ But this, this is much worse than we could have thought.

 _They approved the Protection Oath for the mudblood Potter, and there is no breaking it or taking it back. Not even Professor Snape can do anything about it. So not only have they removed you from power because of that meddlesome mudblood, but also put him under protection so that we cannot get revenge for embarrassing you. I told you that the Court has become less than what they should be. You should really speak to your father about changing the house._

 _I look forward to seeing you again at your family's annual Christmas party. Maybe there we can find a way to work around some of these awful things. I definitely want to find a way to get at the Potter brat. I miss you Draco. I cannot wait to see you again._

 _Ta-ta for now,_

– _Pansy Parkinson (November 7_ _th_ _)_

* * *

 _November 8_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Friday_

Draco Malfoy was furious. Nothing was going right for him. First he was made a fool by that upstart mudblood, and then he was suspended for something that should have been chalked up to a simple accident. But that muggle-loving headmaster decided to come to defense of the stupid Hufflepuff and decided a three month suspension would do. It was a disgrace to have such an incompetent fool in power over the pure-bloods like this.

But to receive a letter from Pansy, his week was only getting worse. First off, he hated receiving anything from Pansy. She was an annoying little cow who's only purpose in his life was to stroke his ego, but her high pitched whiny voice tended to grate on his nerves and her awful nicknames for him were simply absurd for someone in his standing. Pansy would do anything for him, but he would be glad to rid of her one day when he finds someone more suitable and beautiful than her. She was as bad, if not worse, than Crabbe and Goyle.

Secondly, the removal of power. It was unheard of for the Court to get together simply because they all agreed that the autonomous nature of each year was good enough. But for them all to come again _him_? Over the fact that one little mudblood was only mildly injured? Pansy was right about how the standard had fallen. It was worse than having Dumbledore being in power, because at least Slytherins knew better. But now they acted as Draco Malfoy was the villain, instead of standing up for him. Even the lack of backing from his Head of House was very disappointing.

Thirdly, and probably the most aggravating part was the protection offered towards the Hufflepuff mudblood. It was as if all of Slytherin had joined up against him, and decided to rub dirt in the wound by offering such a thing to the brat. Now there was nothing that he could do without bringing the nastiest of consequences against himself. Any of his plans to get gratification by making sure Potter's life was hell went out the window with the proclamation of protection. Perhaps his father was necessary to bring some change into the falling standards of the House of the Snake.

With a hurried pace without actually breaking into a run like a commoner, Draco made his way to his father's study with Pansy's letter in hand. Surely with all the pull Lucius had in the ministry and with his former "work" associates, there would be a change happening soon. Draco knew his father was already working on a way to get back at the Potter boy for this embarrassment, but surely Slytherin house matters were more important.

Once he arrived at the solid door that led into the study, Draco gave single knock upon the wood. He didn't wait very long before he heard a muffled, "Enter". Turning the brass knob, he swung the door inwards and immediately began looking for his father. Standing by the fire place, Lucius held onto a small crystal tumbler with a deep brown liquid inside and stared into the flames. Draco approached quietly, knowing that he should not interrupt any thoughts his father might have. He had been taught better many times before not to engage unless spoken to first.

Lucius turned away from the fire and coldly looked upon his heir. Draco Malfoy was the mirror image of Lucius at a young age, not having any Black features from his mother surfacing. It was pleasant to not have any of their features, as Malfoys were superior in every way, though they did lack the fortune that was amassed under the Black name. Thankfully since the war ended, the Black name was almost all but extinct and their high standing in society had shriveled to all but nothing. And according to his sources, the Malfoy's were first on the list to inherit the fortune once Sirius Black died, hopefully in prison.

It was shame that Black would be released from Azkaban in roughly a year and a half, and not kept there forever, but the circumstances only led to a twelve year stay due to the reputation the Black family once had. Maybe when the man was released, Lucius would find someone who could take care of the last of the Blacks so that the fortune would be his by way of his son. But there was still time for that and now there were more pressing matters. More pressing than whatever his son was planning on complaining about this time, that was for sure. He was a soft little child who had no tact or ambition, and it clearly was the fault of his mother. No Malfoy would ever dream to behave in the manner that Draco did.

"Well, Draco, what is it that you are bringing to my attention this time?"

Draco missed the scathing tone that was directed at him. He was so twisted up by the various news that he was ignorant of his father's emotions, that he began his rant with shaking the letter about. "Father, I received a letter from Parkinson. She has told me that the Slytherin Court was convened, and has decided to favor the mudblood Potter by offering him House protection and worst of all they have given my rightful position in the first years to Theodore Nott. Surely there is something we can do about this?"

Lucius said nothing as his face stayed stone cold. He gestured towards a chair, the unspoken command for Draco to sit down. As the boy sat down in a silent huff, Lucius gazed back into the fire. "So what you are telling me is that Theodore Nott is now leader of the first years by your removal, and that I should work on getting your spot back for you? And the Slytherin Court… I suppose you find them to be muggle-lovers and blood-traitors because of their decision concerning Potter?"

"Yes father. It is a shame that the Court would ever offer it to someone who isn't a proper wizard."

"Tell me Draco, what do you know about the Potter boy you attacked? Facts only."

Again, ignoring the disapproving tone of his father, Draco dived head first. "Well, he is a Hufflepuff, a mudblood, and he is poor. He certainly has no place in – "

Lucius held his hand up, silencing Draco in an instant. "I asked for facts not opinions, and that after mentioning his House affiliation, nothing beyond that held any truth only opinions. Let me tell you what I have found out about about the boy you have made an enemy out of unnecessarily."

When Draco saw the look upon his father's face, all he saw was the anger that filled the cold grey eyes. "Harry Potter is the son of James Potter, the last Lord Potter. Which means that, not only is Harry Potter not a mudblood, but is Lord of the Potter House."

"But that is impossible! You said all the Potters died shortly after the fall of the Dark Lord and the end of the war."

"Apparently not, and do not think yourself so high that you can interrupt me like that again. Harry Potter was an unknown as his parents went into hiding shortly before he was born. He was taken away and adopted by Remus Lupin, a family friend who was from a family known for their stance against werewolves. The Lupin family might not be what it once was, but it did have some importance back in the fifties and sixties. He has been hidden since then until now. So you not only attacked another student, you attacked Lord Heir Potter, who is anything but poor and thanks to your stunt, has more influence than you do moving forward."

"Had you bothered to do your due diligence on the boy, this could have all been avoided. You would still be in Hogwarts' walls instead of throwing tantrums about the manor. If it were not for your mother's insistence, I would send you off to Durmstrang to set you straight. The Slytherin Court is right to remove you from power because you have acted more like a Gryffindor than a Slytherin. But no more."

"You, Draco Malfoy, will stop with this incessant whining and complaining. You will stop with this boastful attitude that will do nothing but weaken you in the eyes of your associates and your enemies. You will stop with this softness you have, or so help me I will beat it out of you and no matter what your mother says, I will ship you off to the continent. You must straighten up and act like a Malfoy for once, and leave behind this foolishness that you have yet to grow out of. Do I make myself clear?"

Draco nodded with fear in his eyes. But Lucius did not relent. "An audible answer Draco. Use your words like a proper pure-blood."

"Yes Father. I understand," the boy said struggling to fight the urge to stutter in fear.

"Good. Now, go clean yourself up and prepare yourself for dinner. We will be having dinner with some guests in a half hour."

"Yes Father." Draco stood hastily and briskly made his way out of the study, fearing to be around his father for a moment longer.

Lucius sneered at the escape of his son. It was time to stamp out the foolishness of his son, before he ruined the Malfoy name any further. He had spent too much time and money to allow his son to destroy it in a single blow.

* * *

 _Theodore,_

 _It seems that you have not been entirely forthcoming with me over the last week. At least, that is what I was led to believe after the most interesting conversation with Lucius Malfoy over dinner._

 _Now, I admit, I was curious as to why you have asked for the bracelet and ring, as they are not your usual style. But I figured I could leave well enough alone without you getting into too much trouble or doing something irrevocably foolish. But the rumors that have surface make question even my own judgement. I can take comfort at least that you have not tried to woo some petty whore, but it is only a tiny comfort._

 _The story that I have been given has been… intriguing, to say in the least._

 _First, I must commend you on your elevation in power. I had hoped that by your third year you would have taken the appropriate steps to remove the pompous tart that is the Malfoy heir from his throne, though I suspect you could have left him there and ruled quietly without notice. But to have the spot by a few months into your first year is clearly remarkable. It is befitting of the Nott family to be in such high standing, even at the cost of the Malfoys' honor._

 _But then I was told that one of your first actions was to offer the Slytherin protection to a Hufflepuff. Sure, he might be the next Lord Potter, but most definitely a light sided family. And then to realize you asked for the jewelry to give as a token of that protection, well, I must say is bold. Are you aware that when you give family articles that it also gives family protection? You are well within your rights to do so as heir, but I am shocked that you did not first consult me on the matter. Maybe you have forgotten your place?_

 _You better have a good explanation as to why the boy is worth such an honor, or I will make sure that you pay the price for your blunder. You have a week to respond before I come in person to find out why you have given away such a boon to a half-blood war-orphan._

 _-TN Sr. (November 11_ _th_ _)_

* * *

 _November 15_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Friday_

Theodore Nott was cautious. He had just sent off a short letter to his father describing the situation concerning Potter, and now he needed to start following through on his plans. If he were to keep his distance from the Potter heir, then he would never have a chance at getting close to Longbottom. His father might not be happy with the method, but Theodore was firmly aware that the ends justified the means for the old man.

So today he decided that he would make his move to try and befriend Potter. It might be tough going starting out as he was always around another Hufflepuff, or heaven forbid a Gryffindor, but from his research he found that Potter had a routine. After Potions class on Fridays, he would always go study and do homework with Longbottom in the Library. There was about an hour and a half that it would be just the two boys since the rest of the group was stuck in the secondary first year's class with Professor Snape. It would do well to gain trust before a Weasley came by and made a stink about it.

He stalked through the library, trying to find where Potter and Longbottom were hiding. With the amount of time that they had supposedly invested in this place, they must have found a good secluded space to hide away from the rest of the students. It was a smart idea, when encountering the fame level of Longbottom that still hadn't lost its interest amongst the students despite being a few months into school.

It was near a large window tucked away in a section dedicated to medieval research of transfiguration and alchemy that he finally found his targets. They were silently working away in some kind of leather bound journals, though the reason why escaped the Slytherin observer. None of the classes they took demanded that they work with such things so it must have been a private venture between the two. This intrigued Nott as he greatly desired to know secrets, even if he held on to one about Potter that outstripped most secrets a first year could have. But the conversation he caught was also interesting.

"…and so Ollivander gave me this last wand to try. It is Holly and Phoenix feather. Apparently, it was one of two feathers given by the same bird. It even works better than the one I had before, before it broke in my fall."

"That's great Harry. Maybe now your practical work will catch up with your theoretical. I know mine did once Gran let me get a new one after realizing my father's wand wasn't working quite right."

Clearing his throat suddenly to gain their attention, Nott strode forward to join them. "Good afternoon Potter. Would you mind if I join you?"

The boys jumped in surprise, not expecting the company. Longbottom regarded him with suspicion, which he had anticipated, but Potter just gave a small smile and waved to a nearby chair. "I guess, if you would like. We are just working on Potions homework."

"Potions? I thought Professor Snape only asked for lengths of parchment, not journals."

Harry shrugged. "He does, and we will be getting to the homework shortly. But Snape has decided that he would give us extra work on top of that, because he didn't like my process or something. Neville and I have to turn in these research journals on top of what he assigns."

Nott just raised his eyebrow, smirk gracing his lips. "Professor Snape really does hate you, doesn't he?"

This caused Neville to speak up. "He hates the both of us, but I have to admit that because of Harry's process of notetaking and extra work has really helped me with potions. I was pants at it before, but now I can at least do a simple potion without blowing it up."

Harry laughed at Neville, "Only because I won't let you put anything into the cauldron. You are on permanent prep duty, for safety reasons."

Nott shook his head at the friendly banter, knowing that they both worked hard to put out adequate work. "If you guys need any help with potions, I might be able to help. It isn't my favorite subject by any means but I was tutored in it before I was allowed a wand."

Harry looked falsely scandalized. "You mean a Slytherin doesn't like potions? What kind of people am I surrounding myself with? A Gryffindor who doesn't like flying and a Slytherin who doesn't like potions. What is next, a Ravenclaw that hates reading?"

Harry's remark earned him a playful punch from Neville. "It is better than a Hufflepuff who thinks he is witty."

With a small laugh, Harry turned his gaze back towards Theodore. "If you want to help, we will appreciate it. We even have a study group, which you are welcome to join, that meets here after lunch every Friday to get the week's homework done. Well, some of us do. Weasley just sits around talking and reading things about Quidditch. I don't think he even knows how to get things done without the pressure of assignments being due the next day."

"I'll have to think about that Potter," Nott grimaced. "That sounds like a lot of Gryffindor's, and while I am okay with a truce, I don't know many Gryffindors who would be willing to accept a Slytherin."

"Well, how about you just join myself and Neville? Is that alright with you Neville?"

Neville turned serious at the question but left it unanswered. He stared into Nott, which if Theodore was honest it made him feel a bit uncomfortable. Not that he would ever show it, he was a Nott after all. "Only if you can tell me one thing Nott. Why?"

Confusion showed on both Harry and Nott, but it was Nott who responded. "Why what?"

"Why do you want to be around us? Why are you being so friendly with Harry? Why now? Why would a Slytherin want to befriend a Hufflepuff and Gryffindor?"

Harry was shocked by the forwardness of Neville. He had never seen his friend act like this before, but if he was honest with himself, he wondered this to. They knew about the Slytherin offer, but Harry didn't think it would result in some kind of friendship, even though the wolf Lupin considered having Theodore as part of the pack. He was just expecting the whole house to act like he didn't exist.

But Theodore has a face of resignation, knowing that the question would come up. He wasn't expecting it to come from Neville, but it didn't matter. Now he would just need to word this correctly. "It is a fair question I guess. Like I said earlier, there is tension between Slytherin and Gryffindor, if not Slytherin and the whole school. So why would a Slytherin like me want to be friends with a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor?"

"Well," Nott continued, "I can't say I really know myself. I felt bad about what happened to you Potter, but when we talked a week ago, I realized that I wanted to get to know you. You are cautious, but you trust people. Growing up in a Slytherin family and now attending school with Slytherin children, there is no real trust given. No real friendships, only allies and acquaintances. I hate it. If I can find real friendship, I will, no matter what the house is."

"I really am only friendly with Potter because I was given the opportunity to do so. I was looking for a real friend, and the opportunity to speak with Potter dropped in my lap the moment Malfoy decided to act foolish. It was an unfortunate circumstance for sure, but it was one I wanted to take advantage of. I wanted a friend, and who is friendlier than a Hufflepuff?"

"I realize that if I want to be friends with Potter, then I need to be friendly with a bunch of other people as well, but I am willing to try. It is tiresome being so bitter about other Houses just because it is expected of me. I won't say it will be easy, but I am willing to try."

The boys fell into silence. Neville was trying to take in everything Nott had said, while Nott himself just watched the other two to see if he had made any kind of blunder. But Harry, now he was a special case. To an outsider, it looked as though he was deep in thought, but if Nott had to guess he would have bet on that Harry was talking to his wolf side silently in his head. This was where things could get tricky. If the wolf did not approve of him, then everything was lost.

It was only a few seconds, but by the time that Harry nodded and addressed Nott, it felt like forever for Theodore. "Alright. That is good enough for me. I think you can stick around if you want to, as long as you are willing to play nice with the others. And I will try my best to make sure that they play nice as well. How about you Neville?"

Neville took a moment but nodded in agreement. A smile lit up across Harry's face, glad that his friend agreed. "Well then, let's get back to studying then."

Nott smiled as things were looking successful. But while going through some of the homework, Harry passed him a note without Neville noticing. He took a quick glance at it, stuffed it into his pocket, and gave Harry a slight nod of understanding. With what the note said, it must have been something serious. Something that Harry didn't want anyone else to hear.

- _Meet me tonight at seven, trophy room_

* * *

Harry waited in the old trophy room as it neared seven o' clock. He was not excited to have this conversation with Nott, but it was what Lupin wanted. The wolf had noticed that something was off about what Nott had said in the library, but he wouldn't tell him what. It only made Harry think that Lupin would be the one to have this conversation rather than him.

As the minutes passed seven, Harry was nervous that Nott wouldn't show up. If he wasn't sure what the topic of conversation was going to be, then maybe Nott would. And if Nott was smart, he would avoid Lupin at all costs if this had a chance of going sour. But fifteen after seven, Nott showed up.

"Sorry Potter, I was held up by a Professor wanting to ask me something. I did not mean to be late."

He just waved him off, knowing that now that he was there it wouldn't matter. Nott leaned up against a nearby trophy case and raised an expectant eyebrow. "So, what did you want to talk about Potter?"

Harry gave him a grim smile. "I didn't want to talk. _He_ did."

Without warning, Potter's whole demeanor changed. Gone was the nervousness and the shy withdrawn attitude. Instead, Harry stood up straight and had a new confidence about himself. It was strange for Nott to watch, even if a bit terrifying, since the last time this happened he was attacked by a very angry werewolf. He knew that it was the wolf, as soon as Potter's eyes blinked amber.

"Good evening, Nott. My name is Harry Lupin. It is nice to meet you officially after the events of last week," the wolf said as he offered a hand.

"Good evening, Lupin. I assume this has to do with you more than it does with Potter?" Nott cautiously surmised.

"Indeed. I wanted to have a chat with you, considering you wanting to be friends with Harry. I am a bit warier of you than Longbottom and Potter, and I want you to know a few things."

"Fine," Nott said as he dragged a hand through his hair. "What do you want me to know?"

"First, I know that you have not been entirely truthful with us. Yes, there is truth in what you say but I can tell that you are leaving something out. Your heart beat was irregular and you smelled nervous. I know that you are hiding something. You do not have to tell me now, but I will give you a warning. If you plan to do anything that will hurt Harry, I will make sure that you will also hurt."

The snarled warning brought out fear in Nott's eyes. He knew that he had to be cautious, but this wolf had him pegged. "I also want you to know that Harry wants to trust you, and so I will listen to him and include you. We have determined that despite your secrets, we want you to be a part of our pack."

The fear that was once in Nott's eyes turned to pure unadulterated terror. He knew playing with a werewolf was dangerous, but now it wanted to lay claim to him. "Does that mean you are going to bite me? Turn me into one of you?"

The laugh that came out of Harry's mouth sounded strange, unnatural. It was as he was barking instead of laughing. "No Nott. I will not bite you. That will only happen if you desire it. The word pack has little to do with the blood that runs through your veins, and more of the loyalty you have to the people included. It is a brotherhood, deeper than basic friendship. Harry and I want you to be a part of it."

Nott slunk down the case, the adrenaline from fear was wearing off and the confusion was setting in, causing him to be tired. "But why? You said it yourself, I have secrets and you do not trust me even if Potter does. Why would include me?"

"A secret does not keep people out of packs. Even Harry has secrets from me, and I him. It is what you do with those secrets that matters. You can keep your secrets, but if you betray or hurt Potter or harm the future pack… I warn you, I will pay it back to you two-fold," Lupin said as he grinned a wolfish smile.

Nott winced at the warning. He was being given exactly what he wanted, but the threat of the wolf became all the more real. If he got into this, he could be taken somewhere in life where he had not expected to go. His father was expecting him to have a certain standard, but this could ruin all of that. This was much deeper than Nott expected or wanted, but it was not unwelcome.

"This is a bit much Nott, I understand that. And if it wasn't for the fact that your Slytherin pride will keep this all a secret, you wouldn't know about any of this. But we shall give you time. This is not something to take lightly. When you are in, you are in for good. Think hard, Theodore Nott. Think hard, and let us know your decision whether you want to be a part of this or not."

In the blink of an eye, amber eyes turned back to the dark green of Potter. The confidence disappeared, and instead a sadness took its place. "Nott, I do hope you do what is best for you. Good night. I'll see you later."

Harry walked out of the trophy room, leaving Nott alone with his thoughts. It was hard for the both of them they knew, but it was all in Nott's hands from here.

* * *

 _Father_

 _I understand your hesitation about the Potter heir. There is a benefit to having him nearby, if nothing else, but an access to Longbottom. Due to the unfair accusations of the public about our family after the war, I want to aid in building our name back up. If that means associating with the public's number one love, then so be it. I know it might be a strain with some of your old work associates, but this is not for them but for us._

 _But even without Longbottom, there are some secrets about Potter than can help us out as well. I cannot tell you them yet, but please trust me. Having Potter on our side can only bring us good._

 _As for the family jewelry, I did offer him something but settled on a simple ring. It will not denote that he had our protection right now, at least not publicly. I will only bring it up if it advantageous to us. For now, everyone only sees it as a token for Slytherin House._

 _I'll be able to explain further once I come home for the holidays. I hope all is well with you otherwise._

 _Your Son,_

 _-TN Jr. (November 15_ _th_ _)_


	10. Chapter 10

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Ten**

 **Christmas at Hogwarts**

 _December 23_ _rd_ _, 1991_

 _Monday_

It was two days before Christmas and Harry was stuck in the hospital wing. He spent the last night of the full moon out in the shrieking shack, and he was feeling alright all things considering, but Madam Pomfrey was being stubborn about him staying until after lunch. All under the guise that he needed "rest".

But he was getting restless, even though he had no real reason to get out. Remus had to go out of the country, so Harry was forced to stick around Hogwarts for the Christmas break. This was going to be his first Christmas without Remus, but it felt wrong now that he was officially Harry's dad. Harry hadn't yet gotten to the point in which he could call Remus dad, but it was still strange to not be around him at Christmas.

The last month for him seemed strange, including his new adoption. An adoption in which led him to finally finding a name for his wolf. Beyond Theodore Nott, Harry hadn't told anyone the new name, including Moony. He figured it wasn't something he wanted to explain through a letter.

But Theodore himself was an interesting conundrum. The wolf had given the Slytherin time to consider the offer of becoming a part of the pack, but he had yet to respond. Sure, Nott kept around, studying on Fridays and even joining Harry and Wayne for breakfast on Sundays. Harry was growing fond of the Slytherin, noticing a few things about him.

First, Theodore Nott was a buyer and seller of information. He lived by the adage of "knowledge is power". He was constantly reading, trying to find new things to learn about. But he didn't stop with academic knowledge, rather preferred to know things about people. His love of information went beyond just the basic gossip, but rather sought out the deepest secrets. He would barter for the information, but was willing to sell as long as the price was right. Harry started to worry about it but Theodore settled him down by reminding him that their agreement would keep the wolf secret no matter the price.

But what was starting to get interesting was the way that Nott and Neville were interacting. It was tense the first week, but Theodore was trying hard to make nice with the Gryffindor. Harry figured it would be best to sit back and watch what would happen, unless things got too out of hand. But the last few weeks had shown that they were at least amicable with each other. Perhaps one day they could really be friends.

But they both went home for the holidays. In fact, most students went home for the holidays. Other than himself, there was only two other Hufflepuffs sticking around for the holidays, and that was because, like him, they were orphans. The Weasley family also stuck around for Gryffindors, and there was a Ravenclaw or two wandering around.

But speaking of the Weasleys. Harry realized that he hadn't seen the twins since before Halloween. It was strange since he would see them several times a week before the Malfoy attack, but since then, it was like they disappeared from the face of the earth. He wasn't sure what kind of worry would fit the situation. Should he worry because they might have figured out that he was a werewolf? Or should he worry that they were up to something? It wasn't like them to be so quiet.

Wayne had also changed since Harry was released from the Hospital wing after the attack. Wayne stopped hanging around Diggory, and made an effort to be more of a friend to Harry. He couldn't guess what had changed, but Harry really didn't want to press the issue. It was nice to have the shy boy open up after all the attempts to bring him in. Sure, they would study sometimes, but now it went beyond just being roommates and studying together. They were becoming real friends.

A knock on the door roused him out of his thoughts. No one ever knocked on those doors. If you needed help, you just barged in and hoped that Pomfrey was there to patch you up. But as soon as Harry peered around the curtains that surrounded his bed, he spotted two grinning red heads that always brought trouble along.

"Well, well," one of the twins said with a cocky grin, "if it isn't our favorite pup sitting in his favorite bed in all of Hogwarts."

Harry rolled his eyes. He might have missed the twins, but their nonsense was a whole other story. "Hello to you to Fred."

"You see there, Gred, naming us correctly. As if we haven't seen him in the last month," George elbowed his twins in jest.

"You got that right Forge. Ever the mystery Potter, ever the mystery."

Harry shuffled in his bed, the grins coming from the twins seemed almost sinister. "Very funny guys. What can I do for you?"

"We have noticed that we have been ignoring you lately," Fred placed his hand over his forehead, mocking a feeling of regret. "We noticed that you were in the Hospital Wing again and we wanted to swing by and cheer you up."

"You have been here far too much pup," George broke in. "Want to tell us what is up?"

"I've told you guys that I have a poor immune system. It means I end up here several times a year. And the one time I was here for a week wasn't my fault."

The twins nodded in a strange synchronization, making Harry laugh. "Oh, we know pup. That is why we have been away for so long. We have been trying to come up with the ultimate prank to let Malfoy know to never mess with you again."

"Do I even want to know what that is?"

"Of course not Harry," George scoffed. "You have to have plausible deniability. Everyone would expect you to get back at him so we cannot let you in on this so you cannot be blamed."

"Not that," Fred smirked, "if anyone who knows you would say that you would go for revenge. Everyone knows you are just a soft little 'Puff."

"Hey!" Harry frowned.

"Anyways," George interrupted. "We wanted to ask you a few questions. If that is alright?"

"We have a feeling we know what your secret is, but we need a few more details."

Harry groaned. He had forgotten that the twins were still on the that kick of trying to discover what was going on. The month that they were gone really put that concern on the backburner. He liked that they were friends but they weren't under some honor code to keep them from freaking out.

"Hey now, it's not all that bad pup," Fred comforted somewhat sarcastically. "If it is what we think it is, then you can know that we do not care and will still be your friend."

George nodded in agreement. "Yep. We have had a long talk and we agreed that you will always be our Harry, no matter what."

Harry eyed them cautiously. They both gave him a cheesy grin, taking a seat on either side of him on the bed. Fred pulled out a large, folded piece of parchment, but kept it in hand without glancing at it.

"First question we have is, who is Remus Lupin?"

Of all the questions he could have been asked, this was not one he had considered. "Um… Remus is my adopted dad."

The boys glanced at each other, but didn't respond beyond asking another question. "Alright, then who is Moony?"

That caused even more weird questions for Harry. It wasn't a secret per say that Remus was also known as Moony, but it wasn't exactly broadcasted in a way that the Weasleys would know that. "Same person? Moony is his childhood nickname. Him, my real dad, and the small group of friends all had nicknames like that."

The twins mouths dropped in astonishment, though Harry had no clue why. "Do you mean you know Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongs?"

"Um… kind of? Moony is my adopted dad and Prongs is my real dad. Padfoot is my godfather, Sirius Black, but I haven't met him yet cause he is in Azkaban for murdering Wormtail, or Peter Pettigrew, for betraying my parents to the Death Eaters."

That was when all sensibility went out the window. The twins quickly fell from the bed and started to bow in exaggerated movements. "Oh son of Prongs and Moony, be kind to us."

"Be kind to you? What does knowing a few people have to do with how I treat you?"

"You told us you knew the best prankers of all time, but we didn't believe you because we knew of the Marauders. We didn't know that they are the same people you were talking about."

"You guys are absolutely bonkers, you know that right?" Harry said flustered.

"Gotta be a bit bonkers to have the best kind of fun, right Fred?"

"Right in one, George."

"Is that all you needed from me?"

"Nope, just a preliminary question to help us explain other things so our questions will make sense."

Fred began to open up the large parchment he pulled out earlier. He tapped it with his wand and muttered, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good", and Harry watched in astonishment as a large map began to materialize upon the page.

"This, my dear Harry," Fred started, "is the Marauder's Map. It was created by your dad and is a full map of Hogwarts."

"It is a neat piece of magic," George included. "Not only does it map out the whole castle, it also shows where every single person is at any time. See here?" George pointing towards the parchment. "This is us in the Infirmary, ole Minnie is in her office, Snape is lurking around in the dungeons, and Filch is chasing after Peeves."

"This is so cool!" Harry exclaimed.

"Right you are. As far as we can tell, there is nothing that can fool this map. Not a single thing, even being an Animagus like McGonagall."

"So understanding that, we have been watching you a little bit, though mostly to make sure you have been safe from nasty Slytherins. Though you have been hanging around that Nott character a lot."

Harry shrugged it off. "Of course. Theodore is my friend. Hanging around people who are your friends is kind of the point to staying friends."

"Well, that isn't the point we are going after. If you want to be friends with a snake, then by all means. But we noticed something strange about the nights you get sick."

Harry at this point was panicking. He left under the Whomping Willow, and there wasn't really a good explanation for that. If he was just leaving school grounds, he should be going through the castle gates instead of sneaking through a tunnel. The twins were dangerously on his tail now.

"We know you leave school grounds before dark. Is there any reason for that? Shouldn't you stay in bed if you are so sick?"

Harry quickly tried to cover his disappearances. "Well, yes there is a reason why I leave."

"And that reason is…?" George inquired.

"That reason is personal. But good try George." Harry playing off his nervousness with sass.

"Well, Fred, we cannot force him to tell us. That would be no fun."

"No, no we cannot. But Harry, we do have one last question for you. Who is Harry Lupin?"

Harry knew he was screwed. No one knew about the name he gave the wolf. It must have been the stupid map. But he quashed his nerves and played it cool. "I don't know. Remus doesn't like to talk about his family."

"Clever Harry, but we know that it is you. Or at least sort of you. It changes at weird times and we cannot find a pattern."

So in reality, they knew nothing Harry guessed. He gripped the sheet he was under, and tried his best to play off a good lie. "Then maybe the map is broken? It is awfully old anyways. I am a Potter. Even with my adoption, I am still a Potter, not a Lupin. Always have been."

"That sure is strange. But it didn't start until you woke up from your coma. Something happened since then, and we cannot figure out what."

Harry knew it was that he had officially named the wolf, but it didn't make sense since he and the wolf were one person. It shouldn't affect the map. But he didn't know if Remus and Moony showed up differently. He would have to ask next time he saw him. But this was getting dangerously close to them finding out.

"Well, if you don't have any answers, then I guess we have no more questions to ask. We will let you be for now. Oh, and do you happen to know when Malfoy gets back to school?"

Harry shook his head, not knowing nor really caring. Theodore made sure that wouldn't matter and made a point to reassure Harry whenever that thought crawled into his head. The twins just shrugged and walked out of the Infirmary with a quick good-bye, leaving Harry on his own again.

They made it down the hall before they darted into a nearby abandoned classroom. The pulled the map back out and gave the proper password in order to make sure that no one would bother them.

"So Fred, I am pretty sure our little Harry is a werewolf."

"I don't know George. Just because he is always sick and goes off school grounds doesn't mean he is a werewolf. Maybe he just has a cray disease that can't be contained by the school."

George shook his head, "No, that isn't it. I haven't thought about it to deep but the more I think about it, it makes more sense. Look, when he leaves he doesn't go out the front gates or by Floo. I watched him once. He went through a hidden tunnel underneath the Whomping Willow. There are safer ways to get out, especially when you aren't sneaking around. He was escorted there by Professor Sprout."

"While I admit that it is a bit strange, what does a murdering tree have to do with harry being a werewolf?"

"Because Fred, other than the coma he was in because of Malfoy, he is only there on the nights of the full moon. Every time. He hasn't had so much as a cold otherwise, and he hasn't been in the Hospital Wing at any other time."

"That… that actually makes a lot of sense. And that kind of leads us towards answering the Harry Lupin question. What if the wolf inside Harry is named Harry Lupin? I overheard Bill and Charlie talk about a theory of werewolves once, and they said it was as if two people resided in one body. If that is true, then Harry Potter and Harry Lupin are the same person, and whenever Lupin shows up, he is more wolf than kid."

"Two people in one body? How does that work?"

"I am not sure, but we can always research. Or just confront Harry about it and have him tell us."

George considered the two options, but confirmed research. "If we do this wrong, we could end up scaring Harry away. Even if he is a werewolf, we need to stick by him. That isn't something that makes life easy, I imagine."

"No it isn't," Fred said. "To the library then?"

"To the library!"

* * *

 _December 25_ _th_ _, 1991_

 _Wednesday_

Harry was awake before dawn. It was his Christmas tradition. He would get up before the sun pierced the sky and rush in to Remus's room and join him in bed for a few more hours. He wouldn't sleep, usually bringing a book with him, but he just wanted to wait until Remus woke up so they could open presents. Since it was usually the two of them, it worked out for them.

But this year, Harry knew he was all alone. It was a bit depressing. In fact, he didn't even want to get out of bed. What would be the point? Christmas was all about being with family and enjoying each other, at least, to him. So being alone just sort of ruined the holiday. Maybe it would be better when lunch rolled around and he could see the twins.

He rubbed away the sleep from his eyes and slowly sat up. He wasn't tired, so he knew it would be futile to try to go back to sleep. He pulled away the thick comforter, the warmth escaping into the surrounding cool winter air. He found himself once again thankful for the carpeting on the floor so he could avoid cold hardwood that dominated the common room. Harry shuffled across the room, pulled out a fresh towel from his wardrobe and made his way to the shower.

He dragged everything out, trying to stop the numbness that was creeping in from the loneliness. The longer he sat under the water, the more he wished he could just go back to bed and sleep away the rest of the day. Giving up with a huff, he finished his shower and figured he should at least get dressed for breakfast. Since it wasn't technically during a school semester, he figured he could get away with muggle clothes, such as a warm jumper and jeans. No one could whine about it even if they were around to do so. There were no rules against it during the winter holidays.

Drying his hair with a quick charm, he slowly made his way into the Hufflepuff common room. He didn't bother looking towards the large Christmas tree in one of the corners where he knew that presents would be for him and the rest of the Hufflepuffs that stayed around. It would just make it all the more real that he was spending the time alone. His goal was to just make it through quickly enough to ignore it and get to the kitchens so he could retreat back to his rooms with food and maybe ignore the day.

But right as he reached the door that led out, a warm voice called out to him. "I was wondering if you were going to get up today. Thought I might have needed to crawl into your bed for a change."

Harry spun around towards the sound, coming from a chair near the tree. Sitting there behind a book was Remus, as if it was natural for him to be sitting around the Hufflepuff common room. He wasn't even looking up from his book, but Harry could spot the smug smile that proved he really wasn't reading. He dashed forward and Remus had little time to deposit his book to a nearby table before Harry was in his arms.

Remus laughed fondly at the boy, figuring out what the raven-haired child was going through. "I bet you thought I wasn't gonna be around huh."

Without a word, Harry just nodded into the older werewolf's chest. Even without his enhanced hearing, Remus could hear the sobs that came from the young boy. It broke the man's heart, not realizing how big of a deal this was to Harry. He was glad he made sure he was in the country for Christmas at least.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier, pup. I've been working on something new and needed to make sure it went through with the proper people."

Harry let go and wiped away his tears. He had a huge grin on his face, happiness radiating off of him. "This is the best present. Nothing else could compare."

"Well if that is how you feel, I can just take all this stuff back," Remus joked, laughing at the scandalized face of the boy.

"Don't you dare!"

Harry jumped towards the tree and found presents with his name on, and a few with Remus's. That was surprising but it made sense that they could open presents together. Without hesitation, the green-eyed wolf tore into the wrapping paper so that he could reach the treasure inside.

He received more than he thought he would. He first opened presents from his friends, books on Herbology from Neville and Wayne, chocolate from Theodore, and oddly a toothbrush from Hermione. The last one he just shrugged off as some oddity from an even odder girl. Remus gave him a few new things, like a new winter cloak and a color changing scarf. Harry was completely happy with everything he got, giving his new dad a hug in appreciation. But the older wolf just grinned at the excitement.

"Now Harry. That isn't everything. I have two more gifts for you. First, this one is from just me. This second one is from Albus and myself, but could be considered as a gift from your father."

Curiosity got the better of him. He hesitantly grasped for the first gift but it was strange. He didn't expect to keep getting gifts beyond his already abundant haul. He could tell this first package was a book by the shape and size, but Remus rarely ever got him books for Christmas. He glanced back up at his guardian before becoming enveloped in opening the gift. Carefully tearing the paper off he looked at the title;

 **Defense Basics: A Guide for Beginners**

 **By Remus J. Lupin**

Harry turned to Remus with a face mixed with confusion and admiration. The old wolf gave him a sly grin, as if he was expecting this very response. "Open it up to the first page."

Harry pried open the cover and read the first thing written in the book;

 _-Dedicated to Harry_

 _The best son anyone could ask for_

Tears welled up in the boy's eyes, overwhelmed by emotion. This Christmas was definitely perfect. The day he was dreading turned out to be the best he could have hoped for. He set the book down and embraced the wolf, but this times the tears caused by happiness rather than relief.

Remus stroked the boy's back as he spoke softly. "This was my little project. I needed to make sure this was printed in time so I could give you the first copy. If this one sells well, the publishing company promised me a deal to write a whole series."

Harry tightened his grip. "When did you have time to write this?"

"I've been working on it for the last few years but once you left for school I had a bunch of time to finish it up. Since I don't have a job, I had nothing but time to write. But I can I assume by your reaction that you like it?" he said nervously.

"Like it? I love it! I can't believe you gave me the first copy! This is so awesome. I can't wait to read it."

"Good. But I have one more gift before you dive into it," Remus said as he pulled out a second gift. "This used to be your father's, but he lent it to Albus before he died. We decided that since it is your first year, you should get this back."

Harry took the gift and began the same process. But instead of a book, he found a large cloak, one big enough to cover at least two people. He gave a confused look, since it was clearly much too big. Heck, he could fit three of him underneath the old thing. It was silky to the touch, as if it was made for some kind of pompous noble, and had a dark silver color to it. It was something that he would never wear, Harry thought.

Sensing Harry's confusion, Remus jumped into an explanation. "Before you judge it, I want you to put it on. It will make sense if you see it in action."

Giving an uncertain glance at the cloak, the young wolf twirled it around himself. He looked downward, expecting to look like a poor imitation of Dumbledore and his strange fascination for odd robes. But what he did see shocked him. Rather, it was he didn't see that surprised him. "I'm invisible! I'm freaking invisible!"

Remus laughed and nodded in confirmation. "Yes, that is the family invisibility cloak. It has been in your family for as long as anyone can remember. It was what your father used to sneak around the castle and to get the Marauders out to the Shrieking Shack to visit me in their animagus forms on the full moons."

Harry gazed down at the cloak as he took it off with a whole new appreciation for the gift. What he thought was a terrible gift turned out to be a priceless object that belonged to his family. He sat down beside Remus, curling into his side where Remus put an arm around the young boy.

"This has been the best Christmas ever," Harry said softly.

Remus responded by rubbing the boy's shoulder. "It has been a pretty good one, huh."

Harry knew this was the time. He knew how he saw Remus, and even though he was hesitant because he wasn't sure how his guardian felt, this Christmas really confirmed things for him. He had a family, and even if it wasn't what everyone it expected, it was exactly what he wanted. "Thank you for everything. I love you Dad."

Remus froze for a moment, but then pulled the boy onto his lap for a tighter hug. "I love you too, pup."

* * *

Christmas day was shaping up nicely. Remus and Harry stayed together in the common room for a few hours, just chatting about the publication process of Remus's new book. They were eventually joined by the two other 'Puffs that stuck around and Remus tried his best to make them feel a part of the celebration, even pulling out a few gifts for the kids. It was unexpected for the pair of students, but it really added to the sense of Christmas that started to permeate throughout Hufflepuff House.

Even more surprising was the hocking entrance of Professor Sprout who had a bundle of presents for the three students who stayed behind. She tailored each gift for the student, giving them books for their academic interests, which meant that Harry received several more books on Herbology. They were overwhelmed by the graciousness and bighearted actions of the loving Head of House. It all resulted in a huge group huge in thanksgiving, which Pamona accepted with glee.

They all made their way to an early lunch, joined quickly by Dumbledore and McGonagall. By midway through their lunch, they were joined by the four Weasley children which resulted in some hero worship by the twins for Moony. Albus just mirthfully chuckled at the twins who were bowing down before the old Marauder, but Minerva groaned and collapsed her head into her hands saying something about "retiring soon".

Lunch continued with crackers, which for some reason were enchanted to give out silly hats. Harry and Remus both received pirate hats, while Dumbledore switched hit pointed hat for a singing Kentucky Derby hat. The meal slowly descended into a joyful chaos, and ended with an unexpected firework show courtesy of the twins. McGonagall was quick to throw them all out after that, completely fed up with the combination of the twins and a Marauder in such close proximity.

With the addition of a few Ravenclaws, the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs made their way outside for a snowball fight in the freshly fallen snow. It slowly devolved into a fight of the twins and Remus against everyone else, as the charms ability between the three made them dangerously deceptive with their snowballs.

Harry found himself enjoying every minute of the day, which ended with a small party in the Gryffindor common room and hot chocolates all around. In what started off as the worst day of the year, with expectations of loneliness and solitude, Harry was surrounded by friends and family. It became one of the best days of his short life, not wishing for a single thing to change.

Who would have known that a day could have turned out like this.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Eleven**

 **Friends vs. Foes**

 _January 31_ _st_ _, 1992_

 _Friday_

Fridays for Harry meant consistency. It would always start with poor treatment from Snape during the morning's potions lesson, leading to a few hours of studying with Neville and Theodore, and ending the day with the departure of Nott and bringing in Weasley, Granger, and Wayne Hopkins. It was always the same, always predictable, and always secure. Harry loved that kind of structure.

But today was the day that it would all blow up and nothing would seem structured.

It started with Hermione showing up two hours earlier than she usually did, wielding an incredibly thick tome and slamming it on the usual study table in the back of the library. She was so focused that she seemed completely oblivious of Harry and Nott's presence, and she lit into Neville.

"I finally found Nicholas Flamel, which was an absurdly difficult thing and even more absurd because Ron and I found a reference to him on the back of Dumbledore's chocolate frog card. A card! I have been scouring this library for three months and find nothing, and Ron finds him by sheer luck because he couldn't stop stuffing his face with sweets. But nevertheless, we found him."

Harry didn't know whether to be impressed or horrified at Granger's ability to get all of that information out without taking a single breathe in the midst of it all. Her lung capacity was certainly beyond that of a normal first year.

"Apparently Flamel worked with Dumbledore in the area of Alchemy," Hermione continued. "A lot of his modern work was in the usage of dragon's blood, but what he is really famous for is the creation of the Philosopher's Stone back in the 1300's. I cannot believe I didn't remember that fact. But this should really help us out, cause now we know what someone is after. Immortality and unending riches. It is all lining up. Don't you see, Neville? This is all about the Philosopher's Stone!"

At this, Hermione looked up from her book at Neville, who just stared at her blankly. Neville shrugged and just calmly responded to her overboard enthusiasm. "Hermione, I already knew all of that. Harry told me about Flamel months ago."

The affronted look that Hermione gave him made the Gryffindor flinch just a little bit. "Knew?" Hermione dangerously whispered. "You already knew? And you didn't tell me? You just thought it would be funny to watch me go around like a chicken with my head cut off, I bet."

"No," Neville swiftly but calmly cut her off. "That wasn't it at all. Yes, I knew, but I already told you that I don't want to get involved with this. I'm done with adventures after Halloween. That is so much bigger than us, and if Dumbledore is involved, then the Stone should be safe from anyone who would go after it."

"But that isn't the point. You should have told me you figured it out!"

"But why?" Neville responded, looking baffled. "What good would it do if you knew? What are you going to do from here on out? You know now and the Stone, if that is even what is down there, is still hidden on the third floor. This helps no one Hermione."

At this, Hermione's eyes began to water, though from frustration or hurt, no one could tell. It was clear she was passionate about protecting the stone, but logic and rationality showed there was nothing the first year should do about it. If anything, she would just get in the way. This was a matter for the teachers and Dumbledore, not some untrained first year students.

"Hermione, I know that you want to stop whatever is going on," Neville compromised, "but don't you think that Dumbledore has all of this under control. If someone was trying to steal the Stone, he probably knows about it already. This is too big for us. Let the teachers handle this."

With that final thought, Hermione finally broke down and raced out of the library in tears. Neville slumped in his chair, while both Harry and Theodore were too bewildered to really act or say anything. As Neville dragged hands down his face in exasperation, he spotted Ron making his way to the table with a confused look on his face.

"Um… Hey Neville," Ron greet with a small wave. "Do you know what is up with Hermione? She just took off out of the library crying."

Strangely, Neville rolled his eyes. "She didn't like that I knew about Flamel or that I don't want to get involved with this whole Stone business."

Flabbergasted, Ron began to sputter out. "D-don't care? Neville, how can you not care? Snape is after the stone! He is gonna get it for You-Know-Who."

A quiet scoff interrupted the moment between the two Gryffindors. All eyes focus on the source of the noise, as Theodore leaned back and cross his arms and raised an eyebrow at the red-head. "Professor Snape isn't going to steal something. His likeliness of theft is the same as expecting Neville or Harry to steal something. It would never happen."

It took a moment for everything to hit Ron. His expression changed from confusion to realization to anger, all within a few seconds. His anger though, was pointed at Neville. "Nev, do you want to explain why this," a hand thrusting an accusing finger Nott's way, "dirty snake is sitting here at this table with you?"

This was the moment that Harry decided to chip in before anything got too loud. "Ron, this is Theodore Nott. He is a friend of mine and I invited him here."

Ron's fury then shifted towards the Hufflepuff. "You first get attacked by a slimy good for nothing Slytherin, and then you decide it would be a good idea to befriend the next one you meet? Are you bloody mad? Are you asking to be put into the hospital wing again all battered and bruised?"

"Ron, you need to calm down. You are over reacting over nothing," Neville tried.

"Over nothing? He is a Slytherin! All Slytherins are evil! How can you stand to be around him? He probably just wants to sell you out to You-Know-Who at first chance Nev."

"No Ron," Harry interjected. "Theodore isn't like that. He isn't evil, he isn't a slimy snake, he is just Theodore Nott who happens to be in a different house than you. He has spent the last three months around Neville, and hasn't said a single thing against him or Gryffindor."

"But Slytherins are evil Harry," The red-head almost yelled. "They are just the next Death Eaters in waiting, hoping to wipe out muggleborn wizards and muggles! I bet he sits around his common room just planning ways to off a few students with Malfoy."

"I don't know about what he does in his common room, and frankly I don't care Ron," Harry said, growing more serious by the second. "But not once has he used any derogatory language towards anyone, and had been a very nice friend. He is only eleven, just like the rest of us. There is no way an eleven-year-old is a Death Eater."

"M-mate. What is happening to your eyes?" Ron sputtered out. Neville and Nott quickly turned their attention to their Hufflepuff friend and noticed his eyes were no longer green but an angry amber. Neville had never seen this before and his eyes widened in astonishment. Nott on the other hand knew exactly what was going on, and exactly who had shown up. This was probably not how Harry wanted Lupin revealed, especially to an idiot like Weasley.

"That is my fault," Nott said casually, trying to hide the panic. "Harry and I were testing some charms yesterday, and I picked one that changed his eye color when his emotions got too restless."

It was then Nott's turn to be the center of attention. He shrugged off the glares from the Gryffindors. "I thought it was a failure since Harry is never over board with his emotions, but now I know it works. So I guess we can thank you Weasley, despite your careless accusations against me."

Ron growled at the jab, not liking the Slytherin. "No one asked you for your opinion snake."

Nott waved him off, making sure to take notice that Harry's eyes had returned to normal. "Whatever Weasley. Should I allow you to continue?"

Ron threw his hands up in the air and let out a frustrated growl, and turned his head back towards Neville and Harry. "Nev, I get hanging around a Hufflepuff or whatever, but a Slytherin is no good."

Harry's eyes narrowed at the negative connotation of being referenced as a Hufflepuff, and Neville took a deep breath trying to handle his own rising frustration. "Ron, you are overreacting to this. You need to calm down before you get us kicked out of the library. Nott is a good guy, and he isn't evil. Just leave it at that."

"So what, you are going to be friends with him and make Hermione cry? This is bullocks! I can't believe you are doing this Neville."

Neville shook his head incredulously. "Doing what? Not judging someone because of their house or telling Hermione that I don't want to be pulled into whatever is going on with the third floor? I don't see what is wrong with any of that."

Ron grew redder than he already was and stormed out of the library. A collective breath was let out, none of the boys realizing that they were holding it in as they waited for a reaction from Weasley. The tension still lingered amongst the three boys, but no one wanted to comment on what had happened. It was just so bizarre to be accosted by two of their friends so quickly, one right after the other.

But as Harry sat there, he realized just how grateful he was for Theodore. The Slytherin had caught on quickly that Harry was moments away from letting Lupin out, and gave him an alibi to cover up his own slip. Had Ron figured something was wrong while he was so angry, it could have come out rather loudly, even if unintentionally. Yet Nott stepped up and came up with a quick lie.

Neville, on the other hand, was more concerned about the meltdown of his two Gryffindor friends. He couldn't fathom why they were so passionate about things that made no sense or didn't have anything to do with them. Sure, Hermione had a sense of right that could push her in the direction of doing something to help, even if she really couldn't do anything helpful. But for Ron to be consumed in his hatred for all things Slytherin? Sure, some of them were down right gits, like Malfoy, but being evil just because they wore the color green?

Neville really wanted to defend his red-headed friend, but he was struggling to. He just couldn't understand the hatred. He would need to spend time trying to get through him to either figure why Ron felt that way, or attempting to change his mind. He really liked Nott but he didn't want to come to the point of having to choose between his friends. He really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

The group kept on working on silence, still uncertain on how to bridge the tension that was left over them. Even the arrival of Wayne Hopkins didn't lighten the mood. They all decided to give up on the day and hope to start over another day. They split up as Neville went upstairs towards the Gryffindor Tower, while the others made their wat to the ground floor.

Once the Hufflepuffs and the singe Slytherin made it to the point where they needed to separate, Nott held Harry back and sent Hopkins on. Harry was glad for the secluded moment as they dodged into a nearby empty room. He really wanted to thank Theodore for his support in the library.

The moment the door shut behind them, Harry raced forward and threw himself at Theodore and grasped him into a hug. Nott was shocked stiff at the sudden contact, not really suspecting the hug from the Hufflepuff. Noticing that Nott was a bit uncomfortable, Harry quickly let go and pulled back with an apologetic blush.

"Sorry. I probably should have asked before doing that." Harry turned in embarrassment, not wanting to look Theodore in the eyes. "I just wanted to thank you, for making sure that the Gryffindors didn't find out about Lupin."

Nott shook off his surprise, and waved off Harry's appreciation. "Don't worry about. You stood up for me first, when you didn't have to. It was only right to do to the same for you. And I already told you that I would keep your secret safe. I will always keep my word."

The whole thing just felt awkward as the two boys tried to push off their own thanks towards each other but not wanting it in return. Conversation died quickly, and both just sat down on dusty furniture trying to figure out how to make the whole thing less uncomfortable.

"Potter," Nott started, staring down at his feet, "or Lupin, I guess it involves the both of you." Harry raised his eyes towards his friend, unsure of what to expect next. "I accept." Harry tilted his head and squinted in confusion. "Your offer that is. I accept. I want to be considered as a part of your pack."

Harry felt instantly relieved that Nott hadn't said anything negative, and even felt excited that his friendship with the studious boy was moving forward. But Lupin was another matter. The wolf swelled with pride that his pack would begin to grow, but was curious to know the reason for why now.

"I'm glad to hear that Theodore, but I got to ask. What made you say yes?"

With a heavy sigh, Nott looked up to catch Harry's stare that started to bleed amber. "You told me that the pack is less about being a wolf and more about being there for one another. Supporting and protecting. I didn't really believe it to be honest. It wasn't me saying that you were false in your statement, but growing up in a home where my dad is the most paranoid bastard, those kinds of promises come with the expectation of payment in return."

Before Harry could interrupt, Theodore raised a hand and shook his head. "I know what you are going to say, but this is just how I saw it. But watching you rip into Ron to the point you almost went full wolf, all for the sake of standing up for me? It proved it to me. You mean it. You didn't want anything from me, you just did it to protect me. Whether I wanted it, or needed it, or whatever, it didn't matter. You didn't think twice."

"That is what convinced me. I misunderstood what the pack mentality was, but now I sort of get it. And I want to see it more. So if you are still offering it to me, I want to be a part of the pack."

Harry was unsure of how to proceed, finding that this whole situation was so consuming in awkwardness. It didn't help that Lupin decided to stay silent and not help him out of this pickle. So just blazing forward, he offered a hand to Nott.

"Well, then I accept. Welcome to the club, I guess."

Theodore looked at the hand with a cautious smile, but took it and shook with excitement. "Is there anything that I need to do?"

"Do? What do you mean?"

"Is there some kind of initiation that I need to do, you know, to make it all official or what not?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "No, not that I know of. It's more of a gentleman's agreement more than anything. Unless you want to do something. Then I am sure I could think something up with the Weasley twins."

Theodore paled at the thought of having the twins involved in anything concerning his person. He had luckily passed unnoticed when it came to the Gryffindor maniacs, and he would like to keep it that way. He shook his head, not wanting to think about that any further.

Harry laughed, enjoying the reaction coming from his Slytherin friend. "Well, then I shall leave them out of it. I bet they would have you walk into the Great Hall doing a handstand and wearing a bright pink skirt, or something as ridiculous as that." The horrified look he got in return just made him laugh even harder.

"It isn't funny Potter. They are a bloody menace."

Harry nodded in agreement, being fully aware of what they could get up to when left to their own devices. "Don't worry about it Nott. I have an in with them, so I'll keep them off your back for the most part. But if they attack all of Slytherin, there is nothing I can do about that. Sorry," Harry shrugged with little remorse.

Theodore playfully shoved Harry, giving him a rare bright smile. "You are just as bad as they are and you know it. You just are better at keeping it quiet."

Harry winked slyly, but couldn't hold it without giggling once again. "Nott, I like this side of you. When you aren't being so studious and serious. You should be silly a little bit more often. Enjoy life a bit more."

Nott glared at the giggling Hufflepuff, starting to question if all of this was a good idea. "You are bonkers Potter. Positively bonkers."

"It's Harry."

Nott twisted in confusion. "Huh?"

"It's Harry. If we are going to be a pack, you should call me Harry."

Harry received a small smile with that statement. "Very well, Harry. Call me Theo."

Harry yipped with excitement, quickly hugged Nott, and dashed out of the room with a loud, "Awesome but I gotta run, see ya later Theo."

Theodore was stunned once again, but a sincere smile began to be birthed on his face. Even though he never expected to enjoy being around Harry and really being his friend, he was slowly starting to care for the boy in a way that he had never cared for a person. It was strange and foreign, but the more he experienced it, the more he liked it.

* * *

 _February 3_ _rd_ _, 1992_

 _Monday_

Green flames flared up in the Slytherin common room. Floo travel usually had to go through the Headmaster's office, or maybe McGonagall's office since she claimed the Deputy title, but Malfoys like to think themselves better than the average wizard. Lucius was able to convince the school governors to allow Draco to Floo directly into the Slytherin common room in order to settle more quickly and not face the crowds in his return. HE also spun it so that he wouldn't need to bother those "poor, overworked teachers" or some such nonsense.

As soon as Draco stepped through, a smirk lit up on his face. He specifically timed his return in order to have the biggest crowd in the room and the biggest impact. It took a lot of political pull in order to ignore the rules everyone else needed to follow. And doing this in front of everyone would show exactly how important he was.

But as took in the room, he noticed he was being ignored by a majority of the students. Only the few that did look up had a bored interest. But it didn't last very long before they returned to whatever it was they were doing. Draco's confident smirk slowly melted into a darkened scowl. How dare these insignificant insects not recognize him as the best thing to happen to Slytherin House?

He took in where everyone sat, looking for Nott. He knew he needed to take his spot as top first year soon before things started to get even more out of hand. He needed his reputation back where it belonged. He didn't see a single first year, though he knew that Crabbe and Goyle were going to be returning from their suspension as well soon.

He grabbed the trunk he brought with him and started up to the first year dorms so that he could at least put things away before he went venturing through the castle to find Nott. He stowed the trunk at the end of his bed and began to put various things up, like clothes in a wardrobe and his books on a nearby shelf. It wouldn't take him long, since most of things were left behind since he didn't really need to take his school robes home with him.

But right as he stashed the last of things away, he heard a voice from behind him. "So, you are back already. I thought you would have another month away."

Malfoy smoothly twisted around to see Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini standing in the doorway. "Indeed I am. And since you seemingly were misinformed on my arrival, I shall forgive you for not having a welcoming party ready for me."

Nott snorted. "A welcoming party?"

"Indeed," Malfoy sniffed, raising his nose in the air. "When a person as important as me returns from being away, he is to be greeted upon his return."

Blaise sniggered behind a hand, trying to hide his amusement. "Something funny to you Zabini?" Malfoy asked sharply.

"I think Blaise here thinks it is funny that you think yourself so important, when you clearly aren't," Theodore retorted.

The scowl returned to Malfoy's face once more. First, his own house had decided to ignore him like a common mudblood, but now Theodore had the audacity to say he wasn't important? And Zabini just laughed? What the bloody hell was going on? Every must be going bonkers. "That is where you are both wrong Nott. And while we are on the subject, I would thank you for keeping my seat warm as the top first year in Slytherin, but really, having your stink on it really tarnishes the position. I'll need to rectify that as soon as possible."

Nott burst out laughing as he watched the arrogant toe rag go on about reclaiming his spot. "Oh poor, simple little Malfoy," Nott said as he wiped away an imaginary tear. "You aren't getting anything back. You lost it, and are now as low on the totem pole as Crabbe and Goyle, and that is saying something. I have no intention of letting you come back and have control. It is mine until I say otherwise."

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" Malfoy's eyes darkened with anger, furious with the insult that Nott had just insinuated. "You are no leader, and you definitely do not deserve that place. I will take it back, and take it now. It is might rightful place, and I will not let you sully the name of Slytherin."

Theodore cocked an eyebrow. "Me? Sully the name of Slytherin? Like you did when you decided to attack a Hufflepuff out in the open where you could get caught? A real Slytherin would have least been smart about it and not gotten caught. But no. You really don't have the necessary attributes to think that one through."

Blaise once again laughed, "And you know Malfoy, it is so unbecoming to be so loud and brazen like that. One would almost think you were a Gryffindor."

Draco let out a snarl and pulled out his wand. He would not stand there and be insulted like this any longer. "Fine, be that way. I'll just need to take back my spot by force I suppose." With a quick flick he let out a spell. "Flipendo!"

Both of the other boys quickly moved out of the way and pulled their own wands. Nott let out a quick full body bind hex while Zabini gave a quick silencer. Malfoy moved quickly so that the spells just narrowly missed him. His signature smirk rose once more, becoming confident that he would win. "You call those spells? Pathetic. I have seen children do better than that."

Spells then began to fly with haste between the three boys, none hitting their mark. Reds and blues and greens lit up the room, each boy throwing more and more dangerous hexes with each passing minute. It was becoming more apparent that they all had knew more than just the basics that school had taught them, learning some nasty curses from the family libraries.

But in their concentration of their fight, they failed to see the imposing figure slide into the room. Without warning, all three boys were struck with a burning red light and found their wands airborne towards the dark figure. With a sneer, the figure spoke with an intense quietness. "What, pray tell, are you doing?"

The three boys swiveled towards Professor Snape, shocked to see him there. Though if any of them had thought it through, sending spells in the dorms was sure to get the dungeon bat's attention. "Well," Snape repeated, "anyone going to answer me?"

"It was just a small misunderstanding, sir," Theodore offered. "It just slightly got out of hand."

"Slightly? You consider this slight? This place looks like a warzone. Want to try that again?"

The first years stayed quiet, not wanting to show any weakness and start snitching like a coward. But the longer they held off, the more impatient Severus became. After several minutes of silence, despite the dark glare of the Slytherin Head of House, Severus decided to give up. "Very well, if none of you want to explain this, you shall all think this through in detention. Zabini and Nott, you shall have two weeks detention with me. Malfoy, you shall have a month's worth with Filch."

While Nott and Zabini gave a sigh of relief, thankful that it wasn't any worse, but Malfoy had a different idea. "What! A whole month? You only gave them two weeks! This is completely unfair."

Snape silenced the boy with a sharp glare and a silencing spell. "Mr. Malfoy, you should learn that this world is not fair. But in this case, it is. You see, Nott and Zabini have nothing on their record of violence thus far. But you, on the other hand, have not even been here an hour from returning from your suspension for violence. Clearly you did not learn while you were away like we had hoped. Maybe this will teach you to keep your anger managed instead action like a baboon wielding a stick. Though I have reason to highly doubt that."

"Now," Snape continued, "I expect that whatever the cause of this disturbance is finished. If it is not, then consider it finished. I will not tolerate this happening again. You are Slytherin students, not wild animals. Another fiasco like this one, and I will not hesitate to have you expelled, no matter _who_ ," Snape took a moment to glare once more at Malfoy, "your father is. Do I make myself clear?"

He received three nods in return. "Very well, then I suggest that all three of you finish any homework you may have and then turn in for the night." With a flourish, Severus left them behind to settle their night.

Nott and Zabini walked out of the room to go do homework, while Malfoy decided to just sleep off yet another embarrassment he had suffered. He was so tired of being taken down, either by that stupid Potter boy, or by his father, and now by Nott and Snape. It was frustrating and he tired of it. He needed to figure out a way to get them all back, to make sure that they were paid back all that they were due. He would have the last word. Malfoys always have the last laugh.

* * *

 _February 15_ _th_ _, 1992_

 _Saturday_

Rubeus Hagrid enjoyed a good shot of firewhiskey on the weekend. Making sure that the grounds look great with little used magic and taking care of the many outdoor responsibilities that his position requires was exhausting work, even for him. So as a result, he would take a day off and head to the Hog's Head pub for a relaxing drink. Except a drink tended to be a whole bottle, since his size and giant blood required more alcohol to start taking affect. It was a ritual that he had stuck with for years.

Half way through his bottle he was approached by a hooded figure, which in it of itself, was not a strange occurrence in the seedy pub. It definitely wasn't a reputable place that prided itself on cleanliness and high end clients. So when he was engaged in a card game with the stranger, it was like any other Saturday Hagrid experienced. And he enjoyed it.

But as time went on, bottles began to be replaced. Hagrid didn't mind though, since the stranger was insistent on paying for it all. It was nice to find people who wanted to be generous.

But as the bottle emptied, they began to chat about bizarre creatures. The stranger pulled out an egg, claiming it to be a genuine dragon egg. He offered it up as ante for a few hands of cards, especially when Hagrid let out his love for dangerous creatures. He went on about various things Hagrid worked with or owned like Blast-ended Skrewts. Thestrals, and eventually three-headed dogs.

This made the stranger to perk up. It wasn't every day that one encountered such an exotic beast. Hagrid was delighted to share about he had come across the beast he owned, where he was able to buy him off a Greek chappie in that very bar some years ago. He even brought the stranger to laughter when he revealed that the mutt was named Fluffy. But in the distraction, Hagrid won the final hand of cards, taking control of the dragon egg. Today had turned out to be a wonderful day, Hagrid thought.

Sharing in the cheer, he stuck around with the stranger and kept on chatting about beasts. He was asked about training of the Thestrals for the school carriages and the whole process of using the invisible horses for such a task versus Abraxans. It was nice to share his passion with someone who didn't seem to be overwhelmed by it. Things went so nicely, he got extremely excited when the stranger asked the final question of the night.

"So Hagrid, how does one train a beast like Fluffy?"


	12. Chapter 12

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Twelve**

 **Revelation and Fire**

 _March 20_ _th_ _, 1992_

 _Friday_

Harry was relieved that Friday was here. It was the day he got to escape the Hospital Wing from his monthly transformations, and even having to go back to Potions wasn't enough to bring him down. He found that the more he and Neville worked together, the better they had become at the subject, even with Snape hovering above them like an overgrown bat. No matter how much the Professor tried to intimidate them, they improved.

But the last two months were strange. Classes didn't seem any harder than usual, though Harry had noticed that Neville had been getting increasingly worse headaches after his classes with Quirrel. But that hadn't been the only thing that had been off. It seemed that several people were causing the two friends headaches.

First had been Ron and Hermione. Neville missed his friends but they were still angry with him. He didn't think that they were bad kids, but he didn't have anything to apologize about so it was all on them. Having Harry around made things a bit easier, but not having anyone to be really friendly with in Gryffindor was kind of strange. It made him want to say sorry, even if there was no reason to.

Harry felt conflicted about Weasley and Granger's absence. He liked it because that meant he could hang around Neville more and more. He enjoyed his presence, and they could talk endlessly about Herbology. But Harry did notice that it was starting to affect Neville in the long run. The Gryffindor, despite being around Harry and Theodore, seemed to be lonely. Harry hated it because he could tell it was making Neville sad, though to what extent he wasn't sure.

Second had been Draco Malfoy. Harry was informed the following morning by Theo of Malfoy's return. Harry wasn't sure how to feel about it. Sure, if he was honest about things, he could admit that he felt a twinge of fear after what had happened back in October. He thought he was over it, but to have the boy responsible come back was a wholly different issue. It made it _real_.

The last two months of his return though didn't lead to any form of contact with the boy, but Harry found that Malfoy tended to stare at him for longer than was socially acceptable. Long enough to be creepy and make Harry squirm under the scrutiny. He hated it but there wasn't anything he could do. Since Malfoy wasn't talking to him or touching him, then he couldn't be reported to the teachers and the Slytherins wouldn't do anything. So Malfoy stared relentlessly while Harry felt uncomfortable.

Third was, of course, Wayne Hopkins. He had gone back to his tendency to ignore Harry. One moment they would be close knit friends, and the next he would disappear for days and only show up in the dorms to sleep. It was wearing on the raven haired Hufflepuff. There was no explanation to the madness, and when he would ask his dormmate about it, Wayne would just shrug it off and give a noncommittal answer. It seemed oddly fitting that when all of Neville's friends abandoned him, Harry's one friend in his own house would do the same. They were both outcasts in their own houses, though only by a lack of attention and interest. Friend circles had already formed, and now both boys found themselves outside of all of them.

The only bright side to it all was that Harry, Neville, and Theo all became closer. Their lives orbited around each other, despite the fact they were all from different houses. Theo was the only one who wasn't suffering from not having any of his own House mates around. In fact, the Slytherins seemed to like Theo, with the obvious exception of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. But Theo made sure to let his friends know that it wasn't an issue that they should worry about.

Harry was starting to really enjoy Hogwarts by this point. He was doing well in his classes, had his few close friends, and Lupin became more integrated with his life. He was glad that he could go through school and not worry about Lupin losing control, but rather stayed calm and helped him out when he needed it. Having a wolf inside really helped him when it came to avoiding trouble and helped with remembering this with class.

Checking his watch after being so lost in thought, Harry noticed that he was close to running late for Potions. He only had two minutes to get there, and he would cut it close if he started running at that very moment. Lupin bubbled up from within and pushed to take control. He loved running, and didn't get to do much of it while he was cooped up in the Shrieking Shack.

He was almost there when he suddenly tripped over something. He looked back to see what he tripped over, but there was nothing there. But a sharp laugh did cause him to look up from the ground and spot a very familiar coifed blonde head.

"You should watch where you are going Potter. Someone might get the wrong impression of Hufflepuffs with you falling over yourself. Though I do guess the floor is the only place worthy of someone of your position in life."

Harry glared at Malfoy, surprised that he would just attack him out in the open again. "Watch yourself Malfoy. I don't want you to forget that I am under protection and you aren't allowed to touch me."

Malfoy just laughed at him. "Oh, I never touched you. I wouldn't want to touch something so pitiful and possible catch some peasant disease. But even if I did, you have no proof. I can do whatever I want, and you will be helpless to do anything about it. So just remember this Potter. I will not forget you embarrassing me. I will pay you back appropriately."

With a cocky smirk, the blonde Slytherin turned away and walked the way Harry just came from. Remembering that he needed to get to Potions right away, he left behind his anger and made his way deeper into the dungeons. He didn't have time to consider Draco's warning.

He slipped into the Potions room, hoping to not be noticed but his luck just wasn't that good.

"So nice of you to join us Mr. Potter, while the rest of us had the courtesy of showing up on time. Ten points from Gryffindor, and detention for disregard of our time."

The smirk on Snape's face irked Harry even further than Draco had done, but he decided it would be better to just keep his mouth shut and do his best in class without any sass.

Harry tried his best, but he couldn't help feeling on edge the rest of the day. The threat of Malfoy hung over his head, but he also felt like he couldn't talk about it. He just didn't want to be a bother. And technically, he wasn't touched just threatened. There was nothing that Slytherin house could do, and he still wasn't sure that they would _do_ anything.

It was still weird to think about it, this whole deal with Slytherin House. None of them, bar Theo, really tried to interact with him. Rather, they just ignored him as if he wasn't even there. Sure, most of the school ignored him just on the basis that he was in a different year than a majority of the school, but this felt different.

Instead of the normal study period, he tried to convince Neville and Theo to get out of the Library and outside. He was feeling much too restless to try to get anything done anyways, but he didn't want to go out alone. If he was alone, then he could be a target for whatever scheme Malfoy could cook up. But unfortunately, the two boys wanted to get work done and Harry didn't want to distract them from that.

So as a result and in spite of himself and his worries, Harry found himself by the edge of the lake alone. As much as he loved the castle, there was something about being outside that really calmed him down. Maybe it had to do with the fact that there was a wolf inside of him that always wanted out and had no desire to be cooped up in buildings all day. But the longer he sat by the lake, the more his anxiousness was washed away. It helped that it was a surprisingly warm day in the end of March.

He was stirred out of his peaceful rest by the sound of two pairs of feet trying to sneak up on him, though the rocky beach didn't allow for complete silence. He couldn't make it obvious that he knew, since he really only heard because of his enhanced hearing, But that did not stop him from tensing up, hoping that he would not be attacked again for the second time that day.

As the sound of feet got closer, he decided to chance it and take whoever it was by surprise. "I'm not sure what you are up to, but it better not be something troublesome," he called out.

"Troublesome he says. Do you hear that Fred? Troublesome. When have we ever been anything other than that?"

"Too true, oh brother of mine. I think that is our default. How can we be something other than that?"

Harry snorted, amused by the twins who for whatever reason kept close to him. "Alright guys. I won't ask how you knew I was out here, since I now know about the map, but I will ask you what do you want?"

"Now pup, Harry-kins, ickle little Potter. Why do we need to need something? Can we just come hang around you?" George said?

Harry shook his head. "No. I think every conversation we have had revolves around you coming to me to either ask my opinion about a prank or you try to get all my secrets."

"Well, that is really your fault," Fred smiled a bit too sweetly. "If you weren't the son of a Marauder or have such interesting secrets for a first year, we wouldn't ask. So of course we ask those kinds of things."

"But don't think us heartless little things that only want you around because you are interesting," George followed up, "cause we definitely like you for who being you. Just Harry."

"But now that you mention it, George, didn't we need to talk to Harry about those things?"

"By me, you're right!"

"By you?"

"Yeah, by me. You know, like 'by George', but I am George, so it is by me."

"That makes sense. So can I get away with 'by him', or 'by my brother'?"

"I don't see why not. You are a free man after all."

The twins nodded, while Harry laughed at them. "You guys are too much. Too much!"

They both smiled his way, but then Harry remembered that they wanted to talk. "Now Harry, we need to have a somewhat serious conversation with you."

"What Fred means is that it is as serious as we can be, which usually isn't very serious at all."

"But we wanted you to know that we know, that you suspect, that we know all about your secret."

"We also know that we know that we know all about your secret, and have decided that we couldn't care less and thus decided to keep you anyways."

It was then that time seemed to freeze for Harry. He knew they were close, but could they really know? Would they keep it under wraps? They were just too unpredictable to guess what they could do to him with that kind of knowledge.

"Like George said Harry. We know but it doesn't change a thing. We will not tell anyone about… your furry little problem. We promise, on our prankster's honor. On our desire to be better than the Marauders even."

Still, Harry didn't move an inch. He was stuck between either fleeing or fighting, but wasn't sure which would benefit him most.

"Seriously Harry. We aren't trying to trick you. We do not care about it and we still want to be your friend. You don't have to be afraid of us. We have no desire to sell you out or hand you over to the ministry. We won't even black mail you into anything, even if we think that your better senses could help us out with pranks."

Harry decided to play it safe. They hadn't come right out and said that they knew he was a werewolf, so it could have all been a ruse to make him admit it without them really knowing anything. He wouldn't put it past them to do something so underhanded. Almost desperate even.

"Nice try guys. But you aren't getting it out of me that easy," Harry smirked, trying to hide his nervousness.

George reached out and patted Harry on the head. "Oh, my sweet summer child. I admire your ability to deny everything. That is rule number one of being a prankster. Deny, deny, deny. And you are doing an admirable job."

"But let's be honest Harry," Fred said as wrapped an arm around the small Hufflepuff, "we know you are a werewolf."

George also put an arm around Harry, pinning him between the two Weasley boys, which stopped him from bolting, though it didn't stop him from trying. In his mind, everything was going wrong. He was told to keep his wolf a secret, but in the matter of a year, three people already knew about Harry Lupin. Remus was going to be pissed.

"H-how did you guys f-figure it out? I was so c-careful," Harry said, starting to choke up from panicked tears.

"Hey, hey. Calm down Harry," George said, getting serious, and grabbing the boy by the shoulders. "It is going to be okay. We only figured it out because we spent way too much time on it. Heck, we have even cut back in our pranks in order to figure it out. But like we both have said, we have no intention of selling you out or stop being your friend."

Fred nodded in agreement. "Yeah Harry. Plus, we kind of cheated. Remember how we have the Marauder's Map? That helped us keep track of you. No one else has that map, so you should stay pretty hidden. I doubt that anyone can figure it out the way we did."

Harry wouldn't stop shaking in fear. Dealing with this was too much. He had not been careful enough. Theo was at least bound by his own twisted sense of honor, but this? "I c-can't do t-this. I just can't."

George drew him into a tight hug, hoping to calm the raven-haired boy before he started to hyperventilate. "Shh… it will be okay Harry. We only know because we looked. You are as safe as you were before. It's going to be okay."

Harry shook his head, unable to accept that he was safe, and indeed started to lose breath. He felt light headed, but didn't pay attention to it as he was too consumed by fear.

 _Potter… calm down before I have to take over... You are going to pass out if you do not start to breathe…_

Harry shook his head, not wanting to listen to Lupin. This was not the time to let the wolf out in the open but he was still struggling to let air in.

 _In and out Potter… In and out…_

The wolf struggled with what to do. Clearly the boys knew he existed yet they were the reason his boy was having a panic attack. He liked the twins but now he was ready to rip into them for causing Potter distress. It was a hard spot to be in. As the seconds ticked by, Potter refused to calm down, so Lupin needed to do an urgent takeover. The trouble was, if done to suddenly it could cause problems in the body to transition from pure panic to a unnatural calm.

Lupin started to pull Potter out and replace himself as the controlling consciousness. Potter though was fighting him the entire way through.

 _Potter… I need you to let go… let me in… stop fighting me and let me have it…_

Fred and George Weasley watched as Harry suffered through the internal battle. They were at a loss of what to do. They were only thirteen! How could they possibly handle something so grand? They obviously did not handle this as well as they should have, but they didn't know any other way than what they did. Direct and joking was always what worked best for them. Make heavy problems feel light and it would make it much easier to deal with.

But as they sat there, they did notice that Harry was calming down slowly. The boy leaned out of the hug that George had him wrapped in, head pointed towards the sky. Eyes shut tight, and his breathing became deeper. They were very encouraged by this.

But what they were not expecting was the sight they saw when the Hufflepuff opened his eyes. All of the signature green had left the first year's irises. Instead there was a burning amber that they had once spied on the train in September. It made them nervous because while they knew that Harry was a werewolf, they had not expected to come face to face with the wolf that lie beneath the surface.

The eyes stared into them, shifting between the twins without giving away any emotion. The Weasley twins shifted uncomfortably at the fierce stare, hoping that they did not anger the beast. They already felt bad for sending Harry into a panic attack, but to bring the ire of a werewolf upon themselves was something they wanted to avoid even more. For their own safety if nothing else.

"I've been waiting for you to figure it out for a while, I would have appreciated some tact in letting Potter know."

The red-heads were taken aback. This was not the response they had expected. If anything, they were waiting to be yelled at by the wolf. But knowing that the wolf was waiting for them, and referencing himself in the third person? Maybe there was some truth in the split personalities of werewolves. Maybe they were not so far off from thinking that Lupin wasn't actually Harry Potter, but the wolf inside.

"Potter will be okay, if you are wondering. We on the other hand, need to have a talk."

The twins nodded, unable to get any words out. "Very well," Harry continued, "You can call me Harry Lupin. Legally, Potter and I are both the son of Remus Lupin, but only I took on the name. It helps differentiate who is who inside this head. Much better than just being 'wolf'."

"So being a werewolf is like having two people in one mind?" Fred squeaked out.

"Sort of. Two minds, one human, one wolf. I am Harry Potter as much as I am Harry Lupin. One person, two minds. There is not one without the other, separate but one. It is really difficult to understand when you do not have a wolf inside you."

"What did you mean that you were waiting for us to figure it out?"

"I knew that you both were interested in discovering the secret of Harry Potter," Lupin started. "On the train, I decided that if you were to ever figure it out, depending on your reaction to the news, I would invite you to become a part of a pack."

"WHAT!? You mean you want to turn us?" George yelled.

Lupin shook his head. "No. Pack isn't reliant on the blood in your veins. It depends on your loyalty and commitment. It could be considered like becoming blood brothers, the old muggle way."

"Wicked." Fred and George said simultaneously.

Lupin let out a huff of amusement and gave them a sly smirk. "I take that as you are in?"

"Of course we are! What a silly question." Fred exclaimed

"We said we would stand by you no matter what, and if this helps us prove that, then we are for it," George added.

"Then I should also tell you that Theodore Nott is also a part of the pack. Can you stand by him as well?"

The red heads nodded. "Sure. If you vouch for him and say he is a good guy, then we can accept that. But what about Neville? Isn't he always hanging around you? Shouldn't he be a part of the pack as well?"

"Yes, but not yet," Harry said. "I haven't told him about being a werewolf yet, so I can't move forward with that. Nott only knows because he mistakenly tried to put silver on us without knowing we were a werewolf. But he has since accepted this and chosen to protect us."

"I eventually want to tell Neville, but there really isn't a good time to let him know. Can't exactly start the day off with a 'Good morning Neville, nice day out today. By the way, did you know I transform during full moons'. I like him and all, but I still wonder if I really want him to know or not."

"Gotcha," George shook his head understandingly. "But why haven't you decided about Neville knowing?"

"He already deals with a lot. I know that being the Boy-Who-Lived really gets to him, what with everyone staring at him or asking him a million questions about his scar or You-Know-Who. I would just be another burden, another secret, to bear. He doesn't need that kind of stress. But he is our friend and we don't want there to be secrets between us. I want him to trust us with things, but that requires us trusting him with things. It's hard."

The boys gave him a comforting pat and a knowing smile. They might not really understand all that was going through the mind of Harry Potter, considering there were two different minds in there, but they could at least sympathize his problem.

Harry rolled his neck around, trying to relieve some of the imagined weight on his shoulders. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. That was when the boys were able to watch as eyes turned from the angry amber of the wolf back to the serene green that they knew. It was spooky to witness, seeing the quick shift from beast to man. But with the green eyes, came back the sadness that ruled just moments ago. "So you guys really do not hate me?"

"Of course not Har-Bear. Whether you like it or not, you are stuck with us."

Harry gave them a sad smile of relief, and took them both into a hug. "Thank you," the green-eyed boy mumbled.

"You are family now Harry. Or pack mates. Or whatever," Fred stumbled as he tried to console the boy. Harry just laughed in response. "Now come on, let's get back to the castle."

* * *

 _April 7_ _th_ _, 1992_

 _Tuesday_

Harry loathed Tuesdays. Tuesday meant midnight classes for Astronomy for Hufflepuffs and Slytherins. If there was one thing he didn't want to know more about, it was the night sky. It already made him change shape every full moon, why would he want to pay attention to any other part of it.

Class was so boring and all he wanted to do was sleep. He couldn't even pass notes with Theo in class because there were no desks in the Astronomy tower. Instead, there were just places where you could set up a telescope and gaze upon the stars. Tonight, they were supposed to find the Hercules constellation, but Harry found he was having trouble finding anything.

It took him a second to realize that he couldn't see anything in the sky because some kind of bright light was coming from the school grounds. Curious, he lazily swiveled his telescope downwards, hoping to find a glimpse of what was making so much light in the middle of the night. It should have been pitch black out so close to the new moon.

But when his gaze got to the light, it was much too bright and much too angry to understand what it was through the glass. He looked away from his telescope and rubbed his eyes, trying to get his sight back. Once he got it back, he peered over the barrier of the castle tower and saw what was distracting him with so much light.

Fire.

Rather, Hagrid's hut and a portion of the Forbidden Forest was on fire. The wood was igniting quickly as the flames jumped from tree to tree. The hut that Hagrid called home was a burning inferno, a fireball that lit the night sky.

"Professor Sinistra! Look, there's a fire!" Harry shouted.

With his proclamation, there was a stampede of students rushing over to his side of the tower to watch the blaze in wonder and terror. The Astronomy Professor gasped in horror and quickly said a spell, causing a silvery owl to burst forth from her wand and fly off towards the main part of the castle.

Within moments, professors poured out of the castle towards the flames, throwing water and extinguishing spells at the mayhem. Sinistra quickly abandoned her students to make her way down the tower, presumably to help out in the relief. The students could only watch in silent trepidation.

Suddenly, a loud roar pierced through the night, an unholy sound of fire and hate. The students upon the tower shook as the sound reverberated through the darkness. A crash sounded from the blaze of the old hut, wood breaking upon wood, popping loudly as it combusted in the flames. Out of it rose a dragon, the size of a horse, and it bellowed once more. Fire tore from its throat and renewed the flames that were begging to consume to forest.

From what Harry could see that was not distorted from the bright fire and the heat, the dragon was a greenish brown, with a nasty looking black ridge along it's back. He didn't know much about dragons, but he knew for sure that something that size must have been young but by the destruction around it, it was very dangerous.

The dragon spread its wings with a great screech, and took to the air, as if the fire meant little to it. It didn't seem injured at all from the fire or debris. It struggled to use its wings, being used for the first time for flight. It eventually got enough rise from the hot air around it to get adequate lift to fly off into black sky.

Harry watched as it flew off, amazed that he would see such a thing here at Hogwarts. But with the departure of the winged beast, it begged the question. Why was there a dragon at Hogwarts?

And why was it in Hagrid's hut?

Harry turned to the other students, and caught Nott's eye. Based on the questioning look, the Slytherin had the same questions he did. This was not going to end well, depending on the answer to that question.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 **The Mighty Beasts of Rubeus Hagrid**

 _May 16_ _th_ _, 1992_

 _Saturday_

Harry was slowly realizing that something was wrong with his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrel. It started when the stench of the room subtlety changed. The garlic smell slowly died and was being replaced by the stench of a rotting flesh. Harry couldn't place it but Lupin could. The smell mirrored the strange dark smell that clung to Neville. It was so similar.

After catching on to that revelation, Harry started to watch the man closely. Sure, the teacher was already pale and scrawny, but as the days passed, he seemed to grow more gaunt and deathly. It wasn't an overt and sudden change, but had the appearance of a severe lack of eating. Quirrel was at every meal, so Harry knew he ate. It was so confusing. Surely he wasn't the only one to notice that a professor was deteriorating right before their eyes?

Harry brought it up to Theo and the twins, since they were now considered a part of Lupin's pack, just so there would be more eyes the sickly man. He wanted to introduce the three, but he hadn't had a chance other than to tell them about each other. He thought about bringing the Quirrel situation up to Neville, but he was aware how much the Gryffindor didn't want to get involved with any sort of mystery and adventure. He hated leaving him out of things, but his friend's relationship with Hermione and Ron were still rocky over the blow up about the Philosopher's Stone and he didn't need to create more anxiety for Neville.

Theo of course took the mystery at full force, excited to put some of his knowledge to the test. He loved to figure out people's secrets and this surely would be a big one if it was in relation to a teacher. He poured into medical books, trying to find out what could cause degradation. He figured that it wouldn't be a muggle disease such as cancer, since magical beings tended to be immune to such things. He narrowed it down to either magical decay or the effects of a long term possession. It made more sense to assume magical decay, due to the man's lack of magical strength in the first place and they had been with him for the whole year and never presented typical signs of possession.

The twins started following the professor, trying to catch him doing something wrong but were having a hard time with it. They found him to be so incredibly boring, a man who wouldn't change his routine or deviate from a set schedule. Fred and George grew bored with it and quickly abandoned their self-appointed task. That is until they found something highly curious about the Defense professor.

As they went out one night to set up a prank, they almost were caught by said professor. The only reason they were able to escape was thanks to the Marauder's Map. But once they were able to get away, they noticed an anomaly happening with the Map's magic.

Where Quirrel stood, there was a blur of two names that twisted together, neither one taking precedence over the other. They tried to determine what it was supposed to say, but they couldn't even read the name Quirinus Quirrel properly even though they knew his location. This obviously threw a wrench in the magical decay theory that Theo had come up with.

That was at least what they were showing Harry as he lay cooped up in the Hospital Wing for his monthly transformations. They hadn't yet told Theo about the map as they hadn't really met yet. Somehow they were able to miss being around Harry when Nott was around. Harry knew it needed to be fixed soon, especially if they were going to become a real pack under Lupin.

Harry rubbed his eyes in frustration, not liking what the twins were explaining to him. They showed him the map and the weird blotch that is Quirrel, and told him their suspicion of something or someone possessing him. Harry figured that he must agree with it, since the evidence was there and the rotten smell that lingered around the man gave away his decay.

"Harry, I think that this gives ample reason to meet this Theodore person. He could help us figure this out. From what you have told us about him, he is a smart little bugger."

"Well, today is your day George, ickle little Teddy is walking this way. Maybe to check up on our furry little friend, yeah?"

Harry looked at Fred suspiciously, "Teddy? I'm not sure that is how you should lead off with that one Fred. He is a Slytherin remember. I barely get to call him Theo, never mind something like Teddy."

The twins laughed in defiance of Harry's caution, eagerly waiting for the Slytherin first year to appear. They didn't have to wait long, as within a few moments Nott made an appearance through the Hospital Wing doors. He was quickly startled by the loud pranksters as they accosted him.

"Teddy! How nice of you to join us!"

George grabbed the startled kid and proceeded to lead him towards Harry's bed. "We have a mystery dear Teddy and we need your assistance in solving it."

Fred joined in with an arm around Nott's shoulder. "Most definitely. From what our Harrykins here has told us, you Teddy, are the smartest person he knows that isn't Granger."

"Scary smart that girl is. It's not healthy, how much she takes in."

It was clear from the panicked confusion on Theodore's face that he had no clue how to handle Fred and George. Harry wanted to laugh but he had been in that same predicament countless times, so he knew exactly how Nott felt. But Theodore quickly adapted and shoved the twins off.

"First, never call me Teddy again. Secondly, would you give me a moment to sit down before you assault me? And third, keep this up and you will give me a headache. And I will pay you back twofold if I get one."

The Gryffindors snickered, now being given exactly what they needed to push all of Theo's buttons. Nott decided to ignore them and threw the day's newspaper at Harry's head. The werewolf swiftly caught it, not sure what to do with the paper. Theo just pointed and said "check page 3, right hand corner". So Harry opened it up and began to read the article.

 _Illegal Dragon Handler Sentenced_

 _On the evening of May 15_ _th_ _, Rubeus Hagrid (former employee of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) was sentenced following a drawn out legal battle concerning the illegal transportation, hatching, and keeping of a XXXXX level magical creature, a Norwegian Ridgeback breed of dragon._

 _It was brought to the ministry's attention that Mr. Hagrid was keeping this dragon on Hogwarts school grounds when on April 7_ _th_ _, Mr. Hagrid's housing and a portion of the Forbidden Forest were set ablaze by the untamed beast. There were no casualties, but there were a few injuries caused to several staff members, and a large amount of damage was caused to roughly a half acre of forest. Hagrid was taken into custody following the event when emergency services arrived on the scene._

 _It was later discovered that Mr. Hagrid won this dragon as an egg in the Hogsmeade pub, The Hog's Head. He then proceeded to hatch and begin raising the dragon that he affectionately named Norbert. This went on for several weeks until the dragon grew too large for the small hut and began to exhale fire in efforts to escape._

 _The dragon has since been caught and been relocated to a Dragon Preserve in Romania._

 _The trial went on for just under a month as Aurors collected evidence and the Wizenmagot tried to find an appropriate sentencing, since this had taken place on school grounds near children. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore stepped down temporarily as Chief Warlock, as he was considered too close to the subject to be unbiased. We know from history that Headmaster Dumbledore has already spoken up once on behalf of Mr. Hagrid concerning magical creatures, following petrification attacks upon students that led to the death of student in the late 1940's that caused expulsion for Mr. Hagrid. Dumbledore was unavailable for comment._

 _Headmaster Dumbledore did indeed speak on behalf of Mr. Hagrid once more, but it was all for naught. Where Mr. Hagrid was a minor in the last incident, there was no such grace this time around. The original sentencing for harboring a XXXXX level creature would be 15 years in Azkaban minimum for a first time offender. Considering that this was a second offense and once more on the grounds of the school, the sentencing obviously was increased._

 _This of course is when the debate started and caused the extension of the trial. Recommendations ranged from a grace filled twenty years to the extreme of the immediate usage of the Dementor's kiss. This debate lasted over four sessions and did not seem to find any source of compromise._

 _The final answer came from the recommendation of Lord Lucius Malfoy, whom heads up the School Board. He mentioned that while there were no students were harmed in the events of April 7_ _th_ _, they could no longer take a chance with Mr. Hagrid. He offered that Mr. Hagrid spend forty five years in Azkaban, and upon release, he would be banned from Hogwarts permanently. If he violated any of this, including another offence of the magical creature laws, Mr. Hagrid should receive the Kiss. This was approved with a vote of 35-15, and hence Mr. Hagrid was sentenced._

 _Lord Malfoy, in a comment after the trial said that it was, "tragic that a school as prestigious as Hogwarts would be marred by such an incident as this" and that "hiring regulations would be looked over and updated as to avoid another occurrence due to negligence in our hiring's"._

 _Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge said "It was lucky that children were not harmed but we should react and make sure our students are safe moving forward. Today justice was served, and we should learn from this'_

 _This reporter asks what kind of changes shall we expect in the future? How do we prevent another occurrence of dangerous creatures on the grounds of Hogwarts? Do we need to have heavier review of the Hogwarts Staff and Faculty? Only time will answer these questions._

 _Senior Reporter Terrigen Adams_

Harry's eyes widened as he got further into the article, which caused the twins to get curious and try to read over his shoulder. While Harry didn't really know Hagrid all that well, it was still a sad thought that he would most likely never see the gentle giant again. It seemed unfair, being put away for so long, but he knew that keeping a dragon was dangerous. He felt so conflicted about it.

"Harry, are you going to be okay?" Theo asked him.

"I should be," Harry responded. "But it will be weird to not see Hagrid anymore. It is awful, but there isn't anything that could be said. He did it."

Theo nodded, trying to be sympathetic. He really didn't care either way, but it had the chance of affecting his friend so he wanted to at least give comfort. Harry though, after a moment in thought, shot straight up in the bed. The sudden movement didn't exactly give him the momentum he wanted.

Harry's head, as he came up, came in contact with Fred's chin quite aggressively. Both cried out in pain from the hit, grabbing where the pain was. Harry rubbed the top of his head while Fred dramatically clutched his chin. Theo and George had no sympathy for either one and burst out laughing.

It took a few minutes for the boys to calm down, and a few shushes from the Healer Matron, before they could get back on topic.

"What were you going to say before all of this happened Harry?" George asked.

"Well, obviously, Hagrid is in trouble for a dangerous magical beast. What does that mean for Fluffy?"

The three other boys just stared blankly at the Hufflepuff. "Harry," Theo said, "What the bloody hell is a Fluffy?"

"Oh, right, you guys don't know." Harry said sheepishly. "Well… um… Fluffy is the three headed dog that is currently guarding the Philosopher's Stone."

Again, the simultaneous reactions seemed to mirror each other, this time with raised eyebrows and wide eyes in shock. "A three headed dog?" "Philosopher's Stone?" "Guarding it here?" The questions were hurled at Harry all at the same time.

"I guess I better explain huh," Harry said rubbing the back of his head as he received several "duhs". "Neville, Granger, and Ron all discovered a three headed dog on the third floor, in the corridor where we were told to avoid unless we want to die a very painful death. They learned from snooping around that the dog belonged to Hagrid who lent him to Dumbledore to guard something."

"Hagrid also let it slip that the matter was between Dumbledore and a guy named Nicholas Flamel. He is the guy who made the stone – ."

Fred cut Harry off with the question, "What does the stone do?"

Sighing, Harry continued. "Well, the Stone has two purposes. First, it can transmute any stone into gold, giving the user an endless supply of riches. The second use, and more importantly, it contains the Elixir of Life, which if drunk on a regular basis would give the drinker immortality."

"Granger and Ron figure that someone is wanting to steal the Stone, which Neville didn't want to get involved. That is why they had that big fight a while ago. Ron thinks that Professor Snape is after the stone, but none of their theories really fit other than the fact that they don't like Professor Snape."

"Okay, but how does this all connect?"

"Well, first, if Dumbledore is smart, which he is, he will remove Fluffy as to not have any more fiascos concerning magical beasts. That means there will need to be a different protection if there isn't already protections in place. That means that if someone wanted to steal the stone, they will need to do it soon."

"Any ideas of who it could be?" Fred asked.

But instead of Harry answering, George stepped in. "It must be Quirrel."

He was now on the receiving end of questioning looks, but George continued on. "Think about it. If it gives the Elixir of Life, who would need it most here? Quirrel has been sick for a while. It could fix whatever he is dealing with."

Fred caught on and kept the thought going. "Right. If it is just a magical decay issue, it should fix it right up. But since the map gives us a clue that it might be possession. Maybe he needs the stone to resurrect whoever is possessing him?"

"Map," Theo asked.

"Oh right. The Marauder's map." Fred pulled the map over to the Slytherin and began to explain. "Here look. This is a map of Hogwarts and shows wherever anyone is. It is untrickable. But Quirrel's name is jumbled as if there are two names trying to take over one body. It is similar when Harry changes from Potter to Lupin and back. But he is never jumbled like this, so we doubt that Quirrel is a wolf."

"Possession is our best bet then," George chimed in. "Though I am not sure how a stone can help out a spirit of any kind. You need a body for that."

"I don't know… it doesn't make any sense…" Harry pondered.

"Harry, look at this. Quirrel is dragging Longbottom around."

Harry looked where Theodore was pointing on the map, and indeed, it was clear that Neville was being moved against his will. They watched as the two sets of feet stopped for a moment, and then continued on through the corridor. "Guys, I know where they are headed…"

Theo looked at him seriously, "Oh?"

"The third floor corridor."

* * *

Harry and Theo stood in front of a large wooden door, that behind it lay a gigantic three headed dog. It was decided in the hospital wing that Harry and Theo would go after Quirrel and Neville, while the twin would try to get to Dumbledore. This would be quite the task for them, considering that Dumbledore didn't appear to be in the castle and there was a good chance that was the reason why Quirrel was acting now.

For the Hufflepuff and Slytherin, there was the issue of time management. They didn't know what would lie beneath Hagrid's beast on the way to the Philosopher's Stone, but it was imperative that they get Neville out within an hour and a half. If they didn't, they ran the risk of Harry transforming into his werewolf form and putting everyone in danger. Sure, Lupin could be somewhat controlled, but the high stress of the situation could possibly lead to some complications in the wolf's instincts. Specifically the ones that caused the wolf to hunt or worse, infect.

The boys gave each other a knowing look, huffed, and nodded in their resolve. They did know that there was a large dog behind the doors, but from what they could hear, there was music enveloping the room and the dog snoring from a deep slumber. Neither were sure if this was due to the music, but they were not going to test their luck. They needed to stay quiet until they got passed the slumbering beast.

They slowly opened the door, as to not disturb the animal, and tiptoed around the massive paw that lay in the way of the trapdoor. The act of lifting and setting down the door went agonizingly slow as to not make any sound. But even they could not have that much luck. As they got it passed the ninety degree point and started to lower it, it became too heavy for the pair of eleven year old kids. Naturally, as the door became too heavy, they jumped back as it crashed down to the ground. They froze in an instant as they realized both were flush against the fur of the now awake and angry Cerberus.

Nothing moved for several terrifying moments within that room. The music that once flooded the room was now silent, and the boys could hear the growing growl rumbling from deep within Fluffy. Panic begin to flow from Nott's eyes, and Harry tried figure out the best way to get down the hole in the ground without being caught by the three-headed dog.

Deciding quickly, Harry's hand shot out and grabbed Theo by his robe collar and threw him down into the pit. He hesitated a single moment to turn back and growl at the beast, who took the sign of aggression as a challenge. The heads began to snap at the boy, narrowly missing any appendages as Harry jumped down after his Slytherin friend.

The first thing he noticed when he landed was the constricting darkness. He couldn't see a single thing, even with the light from the ceiling above. That didn't sit well with his wolf eyes which were usually more perceptive during the span of the full moon. But with his usually heightened eye sight, his sense of smell grew. And it let him know that he landed in something damp and dirty. It was also slightly bulbous feeling, as if he landed on some kind of thick vine or a strange cushioning charm.

"Theo, are you okay? Where are you?" Harry spoke out, knowing he didn't need to whisper as they had already passed the sleeping dog. But all he got in return as a muffled gasp for air. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out was wrong. He pulled out his wand and lit it with a quick "Lumos".

What he expected to see was not what he saw. He found the vines he correctly guessed he landed on slowly moving up his legs and torso. Across the room he watched as the vines slowly suffocate Theo as it wrapped around his face and throat. He glanced back at the plant that surely was going to kill them both.

It was a dark green that almost looked black, a color enhanced by the darkness of the room. He quickly went through his memory, trying to figure out what it was before Nott stopped breathing completely. All of it started to add up. Dark green, tentacle-like vines, dark and damp environment. It obviously had to be Devil's Snare. Who would put such a plant unchecked in a school filled with children? It was madness. No, correction, this was Hogwarts.

Pointing away from his body, so that neither Theo nor himself would get hurt, he shouted out a loud "Incendio" to start a quick fire. His panic and sheer desire to live, he packed in more power than he wanted, and soon the plant went up in a blaze. The vines retracted in effort to avoid the bright light and burning fire, releasing Harry and Theodore from their binds.

Nott collapsed to the ground, struggling to gain his breath back from the moments of deprivation. Each painful breath brought him back to life. He looked towards Harry, and with a weak smile he offered thanks. "But Harry, now I know why Neville didn't want to get involved with this. Never again."

"I should hope that we never have to do this again," Harry joked back while offering a hand to help Nott up from the ground. Once they were both on their feet, they proceeded to the next room. They walked down a hallway that for whatever reason had a slope that dragged them deeper into the heart of the castle.

Harry's ears perked up at the sound of something rustling, figuring it must have been the next protection effort. "Be careful Theo, I think there is something up ahead. It sounds like… birds?"

"Birds? That doesn't make any sense. It would be understandable if there was a room filled with bats, but this deep in the castle, there shouldn't be any birds."

"I thought that to. But it sounds like feathers. So it obviously has to be… oh bloody hell."

The room they entered was indeed a habitat for winged creatures. Yet the boys knew that they were both wrong. It was neither birds nor bats. It was something completely different that should not have been possible without the wonders of magic. Good thing they were in a place where the sight could explain all of this. Explaining…

Winged Keys.

Harry couldn't believe his eyes. There must have been hundreds of keys that fluttered around the high vaulted ceiling of the room. Small ones like a modern muggle house key, medium ones like safe key, to large ones from old vault doors. They all differed, and each glittered in the torch light that illuminated the room.

Theo, while captivated by the impressive sight of magic, wanted to get through this quickly. They had already wasted twenty minutes of their ninety, and they needed to get a move on. So the Slytherin ran across the room towards the next door, only to find it stubbornly locked. Of course it would be locked in a room filled with keys.

"Harry, we need to find the key to this door," Theo called out after trying a few different unlocking charms. "I am going to guess that it will match this handle and lock. Probably the size of a vault key and silver. That would be my best guess."

"How do we get it?" Harry inquired while surveying the room. In a his gaze though, he did spot a single broom. Turning to Theo, he pointed out the broom. "Well that is inconvenient. Can you fly well?"

Theo shook his head, looking a bit fearful of the broom. Harry just nodded in understand and grabbed the broom. "Fine, I'll grab it. I'll toss it to you and we can make a quick escape."

Mounting the broom, Harry took off quickly. He always knew he loved to fly, but this was more like Quidditch which was a game he did not favor. He tried finding the key but winced in pain as something struck him. Lifting a hand to his assaulted cheek, he pulled away to find blood coming from a thin cut. Looking around to see what struck him, he finally noticed.

The keys were getting ready to attack him. He dashed off, narrowly escaping the murderous keys. He flew like a madman, just trying to escape and not get hit. He couldn't even focus on finding the stupid key he needed to open the blasted door. That was until he heard Theo shouted out to him, "To your left Potter. It is the only one that isn't chasing you."

True to his word, there was a solitary key that flapped feebly with a broken wing that had no business flying. Harry changed course towards the right key, only for it to bolt off, being much faster than he expected with the damaged wing. Determined, he pressed the broom onwards trying to gain more speed.

The blasted key took him for a ride, ducking and weaving through the pillars that held up the high ceiling. Things then really got tense. The key decided to dive to the ground which Harry had to follow after. Several keys caught up to him, cutting at him as the passed. He slipped his cloak off to hinder the keys. It theoretically should have worked. The clothe caught air and spread out blanketing the keys behind Harry. But it did not stop the assault. His cloak was soon in shreds as the winged keys pierced the fabric without mercy.

Not paying much attention to that Harry started to reach for the key as the ground was closing in. Right as his grabbed the key, he pulled up harshly but crashed all the same. He heard a nasty crack and the felt the rush of pain in his arm. Not bothering to look, he was picked up to his feet by Theodore who rushed him to the door as the legion of keys smashed into the ground where he once lay.

Nott took the key from the pained hands of the Hufflepuff, jammed it none too kindly into the lock, twisted, opened the door and rushed through. Once Harry was through the opening, Nott slammed the door shut just as more keys flew murderously towards them. Rapid thumps slammed the door, keys imbedding themselves into the worn wood of the door.

Theo quickly turned towards his friend and started assessing the damage. It was clear that Harry's clavicle was broken but thankfully did not penetrate the skin. He wasn't sure he could hold the contents of his stomach if he had witnessed any kind of bone showing. Harry's faced showed the obvious agony that he was experiencing. It hurt Theo just to see the pain that Harry was in.

"Harry, I'm going to try something and I need you to trust me. This probably won't fix everything but it should help with that break." Harry nodded to what Theo was telling him, not caring what happened, as long as the pain stopped. Theo pointed his wand towards Harry's broken shoulder and murmured "Episkey".

Harry's shoulder grew unnaturally warm and then went flinchingly cold. The pain was still there but nowhere near as bad. He tenderly touched his shoulder which throbbed at the contact. He could tell that the spell somewhat fixed what broke, but it still didn't feel quite right. With some muttered thanks, Harry led Nott as the boys continued onwards into the dungeon.

Further down the hall they reached a brightly lit room filled with damaged stone, mixed black and white marble. There was evidence of a chess match that was previously played and the life sized chess pieces stood regally in the spots that led to victory for the black side. Noticing the door on the other side was still open, the boys rushed quickly through as to not give a chance for the board to reset and force them to play. They had enough injuries as it was.

The next room told of a similar destruction. The only difference was that marble was replaced with flesh and there was a stench that permeated the room. Searching the room, Theo noticed it first and promptly began to throw up. Harry turned to see what was wrong with Nott, and he suddenly understood and felt queasy himself.

Laying against the grand stone work of the room was the large body of a bull troll. The body sans head. In place of that was a nasty splatter of blood that gave evidence of the beast's head exploding with violent force. Bits of flesh and bone littered the ground while blood flowed freely and began to seep into the stone. Harry pulled Theo as soon as he was done emptying his stomach into the next room. This was the worst rescue experience of all time, Harry was sure of that. Injuries and sickness galore. Whose bright idea was this again? Oh right, his.

The next room was relatively peaceful compared to the horrors that were wrought upon them in the previous five. There was one behind them that they had just gone through and one door forward. Both were shrouded in black and purple flames. Harry had never seen such an enchantment for fire but could tell it would be foolish to touch the doors while they were still engulfed in fire.

In the middle of the room sat a simple table with seven full bottles of liquid. Harry's nose immediately registered a few poisons and potions, though none which he recognized. It was irritating his sinuses, but he knew that he would have to push forward if he wanted to save Neville from Quirrel. A Quirrel that was capable of beheading a troll…

Theo picked up a piece of paper that lay on the table in front of the liquids and started to mutter to himself, pacing back and forth while thinking. Harry knew better than to interrupt, having watched Nott get in this kind of mood when he was solving some problem for potions. Nott abruptly stopped, turned to the bottles, picked up the smallest of the seven and handed it towards Harry.

"Drink this Harry and go through the flames. It is the only one that can make it safe to go forward."

Harry cocked an eyebrow, unsure of the potion. "Are you sure? I don't doubt you but… with everything else that has happened so far. Are you one hundred percent sure?"

Theo looked back down at the paper, reread whatever the contents of the page were, and then nodded in assurance at Harry. "Positive. There is only so much to get a single person through, and while I might know more spells than you, you are way stronger than me. I can go back and make sure that the twins were able to get someone. I'll try to get help before you turn in… bugger… twenty minutes. Move quickly Potter. I'll see you when this is all over. Give Quirrel hell for me and keep Neville safe."

Harry found himself pushed towards the flames, so he downed the cold concoction which felt like ice all the way down. The ice then proceeded to flood the rest of his system, which was nice as it cause his throbbing pained shoulder to go completely numb. "Be careful Harry."

Harry turned to see the concerned face of Theodore Nott. Fearing that this would be the last moment he would ever get to see him again, Harry said to hell with decorum and took Nott in a tight hug. No words were said as they embraced. Harry slowly pulled away, gave one last smile towards the Slytherin, and walked through the flames.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Year One**

 **Chapter Fourteen**

 **The End of Things**

 _May 16_ _th_ _, 1992_

 _Saturday_

Twenty minutes.

That was all the time that Harry had left before he transformed. Twenty minutes to save Neville from Quirrel. He wasn't exactly happy about the odds of success in this situation. Lupin had been quiet so far, but that did not mean he wouldn't be dangerous in the matter of minutes.

As he stepped through the dark flames into the final room, he was greeted by a brightly lit room. The change from the darkness of the potion room to this new place stung his eyes as he tried to settle his senses. He rubbed his eyes, trying to blink away the intensity, and finally took a moment to look around the room.

Nineteen minutes.

The first thing that caught his eye was a massive mirror standing in the middle of the room. It was encased in a brilliant gold frame that glinted harshly in the light of the flames that illuminated the room. It stood well over seven feet tall, towering over the two bodies that stood in front of it. It took him a second, but Harry recognized the two as Quirrel and Neville.

Neither one had spotted him yet, so he tried to silently hide behind a nearby pillar and try to figure out a plan. It wouldn't help anyone if he just barged in without thinking. That kind of attitude would most likely get him or Neville killed. As Harry creeped closer, he began to catch what Quirrel was saying at Neville.

"…of Erised. This is a magical mirror, of course. It shows you nothing less than your hearts deepest and truest desire. How revoltingly romantic if you ask me. But within it, yes, within it is a treasure in which I seek. But I cannot retrieve it. How…"

Harry took a chance and looked around the pillar he was hiding behind and say that his friend was bound and gagged. He couldn't see the boy's face, but he could smell the fear that dripped off of him in waves. It worried him that Neville was bound like this and complicated any plan making as Neville was now a sitting target that could easily be taken out.

The creeping werewolf dashed silently to the next pillar that put him closer to the kidnapper and captive. He went unnoticed as Quirrel was consumed by the mirror in front of him. "I see myself," Quirrel muttered, "presenting the stone to my master. He is so pleased with me. But how do I get the stone? I do I make it mine?"

The voice that responded sent chills down Harry's spine. "Use the boy," a raspy voice spoke out of nowhere. Harry peered out to see if he could find the source, but found nothing other than Quirrel, Neville, and the mirror. That made Harry shudder, as it definitely added to the possession theory that the pack had come up with.

Quirrel swung away from the mirror, and set his gaze upon Neville. The small Gryffindor flinched at the intensity, as if the look physically pained him. Quirrel pulled out his wand and pointed it towards the frightened boy. The man then conjured a rope that surrounded Neville's neck like a deadly snake, binding itself around the poor boy's throat. Quirrel grabbed the end still connected to his wand and yanked hard, throwing Neville to the ground.

Fifteen minutes.

"Get up, you pathetic boy. What is a little pain in the grand scheme?"

Neville could only whimper on the stone floor as he was still bound up. Quirrel pulled the rope once more, dragging Neville towards the mirror. Tears began to flood from the boy's eyes as terror consumed him and the rope around his neck ripping into his skin. Harry could already see the rope beginning to run the skin raw, even from his distance. It would be a painful recovery.

Quirrel jerked the rope up, bringing the first year up by his neck. Neville tried to gasp for air but the combination of the rope and the gag caused every breath to be a struggle. Harry winced as he witnessed the obvious pain of his friend. He needed to figure out something soon if he wanted Neville to survive all of this.

With a flick of the professor's wand, the gag around Neville's mouth disappeared. A gasping sob escaped the boy, a small of it relief. He was placed directly in front of the mirror with Quirrel standing over his shoulder. "Now boy, tell me, what is it you see?"

Neville sobbed but that was soon cut short by another sharp jerk to the rope around his neck causing him to cry out. Blood began to stain the rope as it finally cut into the neck. "Enough of your incessant whining child. Tell me what you see," Quirrel shouted.

"I-I j-just see m-me and m-my parents. Nothing else."

"He lies…. The boy lies…" the icy voice cried out.

Quirrel took the rope and pulled harshly backwards, causing Neville to fly backwards away from the mirror. He cried out in obvious pain while Quirrel snarled in frustration. "You insolent boy. We shall not tolerate your antics much longer."

Harry decided to move now to try and save Neville, but froze the moment the icy voice made another statement.

"Let me speak to the boy."

Eight minutes.

"B-but master, you are not strong enough." Quirrel whimpered.

"I am strong enough for this…"

Quirrel lifted his hands towards the purple turban that adorned his head. He slowly twisted and turned the fabric, undoing the intricate headpiece. With each passing second, Harry noticed that the smell of death was growing stronger. The stench of darkness overwhelmed him and made him want to throw up. But finally, the turban fell away leaving a bald Quirrel, and a wretched demon emerging from the back of his head.

"Neville Longbottom…" the demon spoke. "Do you see what I have become? Mere shadow and vapor… I have form only when I can share another's body… but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds."

It was at this moment that Harry knew who the demon face was. What the creature who possessed the body of Quirrel was named. The Dark Lord, Voldemort. Fear within him was now absolute. Taking on Quirrel was one thing, but to take on the most powerful wizard since Albus Dumbledore? That would be suicide.

"Once I have the Elixir of Life," Voldemort continued, "I will be able to create a body of my own… Now… why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

Four minutes.

It was now that Harry knew he needed to act. If he didn't, Neville would die. He couldn't let that happen. With a loud cry, bringing the attention of the three other occupants of the room to him, Harry ran with enraged speed towards the Dark Lord's servant. Before Quirrel could understand, Harry tackled the man backwards into the large mirror.

With a mighty crash, both student and teacher went through the glass that made up the enchanted mirror. It cut into both, leaving large gashes in skin, some piercing the back of Quirrel and into Harry's arms. Both screamed out in pain, but Harry did not stop. He threw a punch at Quirrel's face, and another, and another. He wanted the man to pay for bringing Voldemort into the school. He wanted the man to pay for hurting Neville. He wanted to make the man pay for everything.

But despite his better strength and speed, Harry was blasted off of the man with a burst of magic. He flew back, towards the fearful form of Neville Longbottom. Quirrel rose, anger in his eyes. He pointed his wand at the fallen child.

"Harry Potter. I did not expect you, but all the same. You shall die for your trespasses. _Crucio!"_

The burning red light struck Harry in the chest, and pain ripped through his body. Every nerved felt as though it was on fire. Harry let out a blood-curdling scream, unable to contain it as it tore its way through his throat. Nothing else registered around him. Even Lupin seemed eclipsed by the pain.

One minute.

Quirrel laughed as he let off of the curse. He turned towards Neville and gave a toothy grin. "Do you see our power Mr. Longbottom? You could join us. We could give you power beyond your imagination. You could rule at my master's side. You could rise above this trash."

Neville was about to shout out his denial of the madman's offer when he was cut off by another scream coming from Harry. Both Neville and Quirrel were startled by the scream as he had been left alone. But what they did not know was that time was up. Harry Potter was no more. There was Harry Lupin. There was only the wolf.

Harry's body curled up in on itself, but soon began to grow and tear out of the school robes. Black fur sprouted from every inch of the boy's body. A feral lupine muzzle grew out, mouth filling with teeth as sharp as swords. Screams of pain began to turn into roars of aggression. Jade green eyes were replaced by a predatory amber.

Quirrel was shocked to watch as the boy become beast. The boy he knew as calm and innocent never once let off the impression that he was anything other than a shy orphan. But now in his place was a creature that had hunger in its eyes. It hungered, and Quirrel feared for the answer of what is was hungry for.

The wolf rose on its hind legs, growing to just taller than the professor, and it let out a deafening howl that echoed off the stone walls. Quirrel clutched his ears to stop the sound from destroying him, but in the moment of distraction the wolf attacked. With a mighty claw, it swiped at the servant's chest, tearing deeply into skin. Blood splattered on the ground from the wound and dripped from the wolf's claw.

Quirrel flew back and yelled out in pain and frustration. The wolf took quick advantage of the situation and jumped onto the mess of a man. Quirrel tried to push off the large beast, but couldn't seem to find the strength to do so. But in his efforts, his hand got much too close the snarling maw of the black werewolf. It wasn't even seconds before Quirrel realized that his left arm was missing below the elbow which was firmly lodged in the wolf's jaw.

Voldemort, now realizing that his servant and host would soon die, made his presence known once again by screaming out a single order. "KILL HIM! KILL HIM YOU FOOL!"

Quirrel aimed his wand upwards towards the hulking beast and sent out a rapid succession of cutting curses. The wolf dodged a few, but several caught him in the arm and chest. His own blood now mixed with the stone. The wolf let out another roar, rage now consuming him further. But before he could move again towards the twisted monstrosity of man and demon, another curse struck him in the leg. The knee cap shattered, the curse almost tearing away the leg. The beast dropped to the ground, unable to keep its stand with a damaged leg.

Quirrel laughed in triumph and neared the beast. "You foolish dog. You flea ridden mutt. You are no match to the power of the Dark Lord. And now we shall put you down like the animal that you are."

A blinding light came from the end of Quirrel's wand and the skin from shoulder to shoulder on the wolf opened up. The wolf collapsed as it began to lose blood rapidly. Figuring the monster for dead, Quirrel turned towards Neville.

"Now Neville. You have no chance of winning. If I can do this to your pet dog, imagine what I can do you. Join us and give us the stone." Quirrel released Neville from the bonds, rope no longer digging into skin. The professor then held out a hand, expecting the stone. Neville looked towards the dying werewolf and shuddered. Looking back at the Dark Lord and servant, he made the decision. He would not bow.

With a bold yell, Neville jumped at the twisted form of man and spirit. He knocked the man over, and wrestled the wand out of the man's grasp. Without hesitation, Neville brought Quirrel's wand down over his knee, snapping the wood into two. A cry of anger burst forth from Quirrel, and Voldemort once more ordered Quirrel to kill.

But then the strangest things happened in Neville's life, as far as he could remember. The moment that Quirrel's hand touched him, the skin began to burn and boil on the man's hands. Even more odd was that Neville did not feel any of the pain. It was as if only the professor was afflicted by the curse. Figuring this was his only chance, Neville once again attacked.

Neville's hands grasped Quirrel's face and throat, the skin beginning to ripple and boil. Quirrel screamed in agony and tried to turn the tables by feebly choking the Gryffindor. It was a battle of will, and as Neville began to black out from the lack of oxygen, he watched as Quirrel stagger backwards and turn to ash. A spirit rose out of the dust and screamed as it escaped through the stone walls of the castle.

But then blackness took Neville, and he knew no more.

* * *

 _May 19_ _th_ _, 1992_

 _Tuesday_

Harry let out a soft groan as he slowly gained consciousness. The bright lights the filled the room kept him from opening his eyes, but the smell of permanent sterility let him know that he was once again in the Infirmary. Not his favorite place in the world to wake up in, but if he was there it meant that he was safe.

He tried to think about why he was in the Hospital Wing again and was flooded with memories of the third-floor corridor. Harry's eyes shot open, trying to stop the images of Quirrel and Voldemort. To stop all of the images of blood. It felt like he was in a nightmare and it seemed so real. He could still smell the mix of blood, bone, and dark magic.

He looked around the room and confirmed that he indeed was under Madam Pomfrey's care. The Hufflepuff let out a sigh of relief, glad to find that he wasn't dead after all. He surely thought that the last curse Quirrel had used would have ended him.

 _Did you forget that werewolves are a lot harder to kill than humans Potter…_

Harry grinned. If Lupin was being snarky, that meant that he was definitely okay. He looked down across his body, thankful for a nightshirt at least, but started to brush over where he had been hit by curses. His arm and chest seemed to be fine from the initial cutting curses, but all along his collar bone lay a long scar. It did not quite reach his shoulders, but it showed how dangerously close the Dark Lord's servant came to slashing open his throat, ending his ability to breathe.

He then flipped over the blanket that covered his legs to check out the damage to his knee. It seemed fine though he couldn't move it. Actually, his legs wouldn't respond at all. He furrowed his brow and determinedly tried to get his lower body to move but to no avail.

"Tut, tut Mr. Potter. I assume you attempting to move your legs, but moving will be impossible because I have them under a spell to make sure that knee heals. There was a lot of damage there, and if your knee moves anytime soon, it may not heal properly ever."

Harry looked up to see Madam Pomfrey standing over him with small smile. "It is good to see you awake Mr. Potter. You had a lot of us worried."

Harry blushed sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"None of that now, what is done is done," Pomfrey said kindly while she patted him on the head. "But now that you are awake, I must fetch Headmaster Dumbledore. I believe he wanted some words with you about how you ended up here in the first place." The Matron's smile turned sour in the blink of an eye, "Especially when you were supposed to be outside the wall of Hogwarts on the night of a full moon. I expect you to keep proper precaution in the future Mr. Potter."

With that, the stern old healer marched off to summon the aging Headmaster, leaving Harry to his own devices. Harry began to wonder what kind of trouble he would be in, but he was assured by his wolf that he shouldn't be in any at all.

 _After all Potter… You went done to save Neville when no one else could…_

Harry had to agree to an extent but was fearful of the fallout of changing into a wolf on school grounds. With that though now in his head, he began to panic as he studied the room around him. Finally, his eyes settled down on a sleeping Neville Longbottom. He watched as the boy's chest rose and fell as breathe entered and left his lungs. It was clear that the boy was asleep, though if it was because of trauma, potions, or self-indulgence, he didn't know.

He was glad to see that even in spite of a botched rescue mission and letting the werewolf side of him get the best of the situation, his friend was still alive. But now begged the question of how to talk to Neville about it. Neville now knew what Harry was. How would he react? Would their friendship survive this? Would Neville let it slip to the world what Harry was?

Surely things would still be okay. Neville wasn't the kind of person to up and abandon someone else. He knew how that felt with Weasley and Granger. As far as he knew, Neville had already forgiven the two, he was just waiting for his Gryffindor friends to come back. So surely if Neville could want to stay their friend, would he not do the same for Harry after having a whole year together?

But Harry did not get a chance to dwell on that hope, as he noticed Albus Dumbledore enter into the Hospital Wing. The old man gave Harry a twinkling smile, which Harry gave a small grin in return. If Dumbledore was smiling, then things were okay. And if they weren't, they would be soon.

"Well, my dear boy, it is good to see you awake. I must say, having you be unconscious twice this year is a bit disconcerting. But that is neither here nor there at the moment. All that matters now is you are awake."

Harry looked down with an embarrassed blush. It wasn't like he wanted to be in these kinds of situations. He already hated being here for three days a month with his transformations.

"Now, I believe we should talk about what happened a few nights ago over on the third floor."

"A few nights ago?" Harry asked surprised. "How long have I been out?"

"Well, you went don't there on Saturday, and it is now Tuesday, so… three days give or take a few hours."

Harry grimaced at that news. He knew that he was going to face his adoptive father about this, and he really didn't like worrying Remus. Sure, he wasn't at fault with the Malfoy incident, but this was something he surely could have avoided. Theoretically that is.

"Now Harry. Do you want to tell me what went on Saturday night that led you to the third floor?" Dumbledore's signature twinkle was gone and was replaced by eyes that were stern, but not stern enough to eliminate all care.

So Harry dove into the story. He started with how he began to notice a change in Professor Quirrel in the way he acted. He even revealed that the man had changed in his scent, going from strong garlic to rotten flesh. Next was the explanation of how himself, Theodore Nott, and Fred and George Weasley all started to investigate the matter to figure out what was wrong with their professor. They had their suspicions of either magical decay or possession.

But Saturday the twins showed him a magical map that revealed that something was most definitely wrong with Quirrel. They began to discuss how this might coincide with the Philosopher's Stone on the third floor (to which Dumbledore laughed and said something about "not doing anything by halves"). That was when they knew that Quirrel was not sick, but most likely possessed.

Then he had to dive into the year long story about how Neville, Granger, and Weasley were involved in trying to solve the mystery of the third-floor, though more Granger and Weasley than Neville. Harry also explained how Neville and he figured it must have been the Philosopher's stone after hearing that Nicholas Flamel was involved, and that someone must be after it. Not that it was any of their business being first years and all.

They didn't have time to plan to tell a teacher about the whole situation concerning Quirrel because Theo watched as the map showed them Quirrel abducting Neville. They knew they had to act, whether or not it was the full moon. That lead them to the corridor when the twins rushed off to find a teacher.

Then Harry led Dumbledore through the tale of going through all of the traps and eventually what had conspired between himself, Neville, Quirrel, and Voldemort, as far as he knew. He wasn't sure how he got out or if Quirrel was able to get the stone, since he had passed out from blood loss before anything finished. That was when Dumbledore interjected and finished the tale.

"The good news Harry, is that Quirrel was unsuccessful of gaining the stone. I am not sure how exactly but I shall be talking about it when Neville wakes up himself. By the time that I and several other of your professors arrived, Quirrel was nothing but ash and there was no sign that Voldemort was ever there."

"You indeed had lost a lot of blood in the process, but thanks to quick action from Severus and Poppy, they were able to save you from imminent death. We took both you and Neville hear out and brought you here."

"But what about the Stone sir?" Harry said curiously.

Dumbledore gave a small chuckle, "Oh my dear boy, even after learning of your own near death, you still care for others and their things. The Stone unfortunately was destroyed sometime in the struggle."

"But does that mean Flamel will die?"

"Yes, I had a long conversation with Nicholas and it was decided that this was the best. Yes, he will pass, but he has enough life left to make sure all of his affairs are in order and still have a few years with his wife. But do not fret for them Harry. To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

Harry felt a wave a regret. Sure, he was not responsible for the destruction of the Stone, but still he was involved in a situation that would result in death. More than one death at that. First Quirrel, now the Flamel family. It was weighing heavy on him.

"Harry, I want you to know that I am proud of you." Harry glanced back up in confusion. Of all of the responses he had expected from the Headmaster, this was not one of them. "Harry, you put yourself at great risk and showed great bravery for the sake of a friend in danger. You were willing to sacrifice yourself in exchange for someone else, and that is the truest form of love."

Harry teared up a little at that. He really hadn't thought about it that way. He just did what was right, didn't he? That wasn't need for being praised. Anyone would have done the same.

"Harry, I will let you rest, but know that you did your father and myself proud. You showed the true loyalty of a Hufflepuff."

With the final word, Dumbledore left, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.

* * *

The next time Harry awoke, he slowly pushed himself to sit up in the stiff hospital bed. Harry looked out the window and realized that the sun had set, pushing the waning moon into the sky. It was a comforting sight, knowing that even if his world had been rock, the rest of the earth still turned.

He looked away from the moon, and took in the sight of the Infirmary. Not much had changed since he was last awake. He still was unable to move his legs, which were still spelled to ensure that he was healing properly. No new students had taken up residence in the Wing. But across from him, there was a new development.

Neville was awake.

Harry burst into a smile, knowing that his friend was okay. He was really worried about him after the abduction but now he seemed to be fine. At least fine enough to be engrossed in a book. The rope burn around his neck was completely healed and didn't scar. Almost like the whole event never happened. That just made Harry's smile grow.

"Neville! You are okay!"

But everything was not okay. The moment Neville's name left Harry's lips, the boy flinched violently. Neville looked up towards his friend, and the first thing that Harry saw was the terror that filled his eyes. It was undiluted and consuming. Harry flinched back himself, taken aback by the raw emotion of fear that was directed in his way.

That he was responsible for.

Neville quickly threw his book on a nearby bedside table, grasped his blanket to hide under, and started to pretend to sleep. Harry was left speechless. His friend, his first friend, was afraid of him. The boy saw the monster that lie within, and all he knew was terror.

Harry sunk down in the bed. His heart seemed to tear out of his chest, and the pain was unbearable. Tears soundlessly fell down his face but Harry had no strength to wipe them away. He just lay his head down on the pillow, and wept until he fell asleep.

* * *

 _May 30_ _th_ _, 1992_

 _Saturday_

Harry stood alone on the edge of Platform 9 ¾. It felt strange, the year being over. What he had hoped for in a normal year was completely dashed in the strange year that it had been. Even for a boy that could turn into a man-eating monster every month, this year was completely bonkers.

Unfortunately, it didn't end when Quirrel died. In fact, things seemed to get much worse than he expected. Neville became completely terrified of him, and still had yet to speak a single word to Harry. Weasley and Granger came to visit their friend in the Infirmary and made up, but they caught on to the emotional distance between the two friends. Granger just looked as if she was trying to figure out the mystery, while Ron decided that it was Harry's fault that Neville was hurt and just shot glares at the boy. Neville only left the Infirmary shortly before the leaving feast, so Harry didn't have a chance to talk to him in Potions class to settle anything.

Harry worried for a while that Neville would leak that he was a werewolf, but he was later comforted by Dumbledore who said he casted a secrecy spell on Neville, so he wouldn't be able to spread Harry's secret, on purpose or by accident. That definitely helped, since it was clear that Neville may never be Harry's friend ever again. And that thought was what tore at Harry the most.

The Weasley twins and Theo stuck by Harry, but seemed to be the only ones. None of his Hufflepuff house mates made an effort to visit him in the hospital wing, not even Hopkins. It may have been because they had been so used to Harry being "sick" but still. No one seemed to care. But The twins and Theo were a welcome comfort, even if he couldn't see them all the time.

The year ended with a large feast, celebrating the completion of the academic year and every student was glad to have reached the end. Slytherin won the House cup and the Quidditch Cup, while Harry was nicely surprised that Hufflepuff had come in second. Not a win, sure, but it was better than last. The food was always a plus and took away the sting of losing.

Harry was then surprised to find that he did rather well in his classes despite missing all that time due to his wolfy condition and the two times he was put away due to injury. He wasn't close to being the top of the class, but he made the top of the first year Hufflepuffs. This made him proud of his little study group for a moment, but it brought back his feelings of abandonment by Neville.

The train ride home wasn't anything special, but it did mean he was going home. To be home with his adoptive father. Time to relax. To let go and just be Harry. To forget about all of the troubles that he was facing. The attack by Malfoy and Quirrel. Fluffy the three headed dog. Neville.

Remus popped into the station forty minutes after the train had let the students loose, and rushed over to Harry, regret on his face. "Sorry Harry. I didn't mean to be so late. I got caught up in getting the house clean for your return that I lost track of the time."

Harry just shook his head and grinned. It was good to see the older werewolf again. Even though he might not admit it out loud, he really did miss the old wolf. He was a always a comfort, even when everything else went belly up.

"Come on pup, let's go home."

Harry looked up to his dad and gave him a smile. Yeah, that sounded good.

Home.

 **End of Year One**


	15. Chapter 15

**The Lion and the Wolf**

 **Summer Interlude**

 **Year One**

 **Neville**

 _May 30th, 1992_

 _Saturday_

Neville Longbottom was by no means a foolish boy, outside of the reality of being an eleven-year-old boy. He knew right from wrong, he knew how to respect his elders, and he knew how to share with friends. He did not like making rash decision, and he definitely did not like rushing into danger. He would much rather just spend the day in a garden taking care of various plants, magical or otherwise.

But as he boarded the scarlet train home, his mind was so far from herbology projects. In fact, he wanted to do foolish things. He wanted to scream and bite and punch and destroy. He was filled with so much anxious energy that he wasn't sure what to do with. He wanted to throw a tantrum and let it out, but he knew that if he did his grandmother would have his hide.

So instead, Neville boarded the train and proceeded to the nearest empty compartment and locked himself in. Or rather, he locked the rest of the world out. He knew he probably wouldn't be bothered by Harry or Theo but he knew that Ron and Hermione would seek him out. He didn't want to deal with Ron's constant "I-told-you-so" attitude about Harry and Theo or Hermione's droning on about his safety and treating him like a porcelain figurine.

It all started from the point he woke up in the Hospital Wing where he ended up after the battle with Quirrel and Voldemort. When he awoke, his first sight was the magical twinkle of the Headmaster. Had his body not felt like it was made of lead, he would have jumped in surprise. But he was soon distracted by the old wizard who had decided to try an every flavored bean resulting in a humorous situation as Dumbledore tasted earwax.

But after that, Dumbledore seemed intent on getting down to business and talking about the events concerning the Gryffindor's abduction and ensuing confrontation with Quirrel. Neville didn't remember much until he woke up in front of the Mirror of Erised, and then all that happened afterwards. He tried to explain as best he could, but fell short when trying to convey the weird reaction when Neville made skin contact with the possessed wizard.

Dumbledore thought about it for a moment, sucking on a lemon drop he pulled from some pocket in his robes. He then made the hypothesis that it must have come back to the sacrifice of his mother and the love that had protected him when Voldemort first attacked him many years back. The confrontation between the purity of love that was within Neville and the evil malice that simmered within the possessed body of the professor resulted in the body crumbling in wake of that protection.

This of course led to Neville questioning why Voldemort was after him in the first place. Why had he gone after him that Halloween night? Dumbledore tried to his best to settle the boy but didn't want to put such a burden on him while he was so young. But for Neville, it just felt like a "when you're older" type of placation that wouldn't ever lead to answers. But then the one topic Neville didn't want to talk about came about.

Harry Potter, resident Hufflepuff and werewolf.

What Neville witnessed was beyond anything he had ever seen, and that was including the entirety of the troll incident AND Voldemort in the back of Quirrel's head. One moment he watched as his shy friend writhing in pain under a dark curse, and the next he was transforming into a viciously minded beast.

The snarling wet jaw filled with razor sharp teeth, black fur as a dark as the night, the broad chest of pure muscle, claws that were made for ripping and tearing. It made him realize just how dangerous werewolves really were. Neville still shuddered at the thought of the hulking monster. But what was even worse than the sight of the transformation was watching the wolf attack Quirrel.

He couldn't tear his eyes away as the claws shredded Quirrel's chest like ribbons. He could stop watching as the wolf jumped onto the prone figure of the professor. He eyes would not move from the sight of a strong jaw ripping an arm off with ease. So much blood. So much pain. All within the confines of a few seconds. Even as he burned Quirrel to nothing but ash, all he could smell was blood and fur.

Dumbledore tried to pacify him about the topic, but Neville wouldn't budge. It was one thing to know that someone was forced to change during the full moon, but it was another to see it for yourself and the resulting carnage. He liked Harry, yes, because he was a great friend that stood up for him when Ron and Hermione stopped being his friend. But he just couldn't get over than danger of being near him.

Dumbledore eventually caved on the subject but did secure a secrecy spell to ensure Harry's safety. Neville wasn't sure why it was necessary since he had no plans of telling anyone about it, but Dumbledore just smiled and played it off as a precaution so that nothing came out by accident. The spell would allow the boy to talk about the topic with someone who already knew about Harry's condition, just in case Neville had any resulting nightmares from what he had seen.

But that was put to the test when Ron and Hermione came to visit and give their apologies for how they acted. They all made up, but then they wanted details of how he ended up in the Hospital Wing and the rumors that were circling that he faced off against Quirrel in a battle for treasure.

Neville did his best to tell the story that didn't give away that Harry was ever there. The spell caused him to just tell about how he was captured and forced to find the Stone and how Quirrel was possessed by Voldemort and that the professor turned to ash. Nothing about Harry's rampage was even referenced. The story seemed to satisfy the Gryffindors, though they seemed a bit peeved that they were unable to help him.

After a few days, Ron started to catch on that Neville was avoiding anything to do with Harry, and begun to suspect the worst. He wanted to blame Harry for anything and everything, despite Neville's protest. Ron was still a bit testy when it came to Theo, but this just revitalized that passion of dislike for Neville's other "friends". He would often times burst out in a diatribe about being right this whole time, while Neville was magically oppressed from explaining why he wasn't around Harry and Theo.

So despite having Ron and Hermione around, Neville felt alone. He missed having Harry and Theo around but fear stopped him from approaching them. Ron and Hermione were emotionally exhausting to be around. So that all led him to being alone on the Hogwarts Express for the journey home.

Neville had never felt more miserable.

* * *

 _July 21_ _st_ _, 1992_

 _Tuesday_

It seemed with the awful end to the school year, the summer would continue on in a miserable fashion for Neville. Of course, he had to deal with the backlash of the school year once the news got around to the ears of Augusta Longbottom. Matriarch of the Longbottom family.

That was a conversation that Neville was not wanting to experience. And by conversation, he meant more a rather loud three hour monologue. Granted, it wasn't caused by him or found him at fault. But unfortunately he was the only one around to hear it as his Great-Uncle Algie just happened to be elsewhere that day.

But Madam Longbottom had always been a bit overbearing when it came to her family. When Neville's family fell at the hands of Voldemort in '81, Madam Longbottom was the first on the scene to make sure that the boy had an appropriate place to live. From that moment on, Neville grew up under the stern witch who pressed Neville to become the best he could be and be worthy of his parent's sacrifice, not to mention the title of Boy-Who-Lived. It wore on Neville for many years to the point where for a while he did not think he could be his own person.

She was not very fond of the fact that Neville was obsessed with the subject of Herbology, being a "soft subject" for lesser people. Not like the strong magical subjects his parents had been good at. She tried and tried to get him to see sense, but no matter what she did the more he became enamored with plants. He just wasn't interested in anything else as a small child. The only reason why Madam Longbottom begrudgingly accepted her grandson's choice topic was due to the fact that his magic seemed to blossom in the gardens. Perhaps one day, Augusta would try to introduce earth magic into the boy's lessons when he got older as it was clear he had the affinity for it.

But even though she was a harsh mistress in the home, she was even more severe in public. She valiantly defended her family name and was known for holding grudges against those who had done her or any Longbottom wrong. While she could be considered "disappointed" in her grandson and his abilities, she would throttle any threat that came against him.

So when Neville returned home for the summer, he had to face off against the old dragon who was riled up to hear that her grandson had been abducted by a professor in some nefarious scheme. Sure, she might have let it slip that she was slightly proud that Neville came out on top in the matter, but it would be dampened by the fact he was taken in the first place.

As far as Neville was aware, thanks to his grandmother's ranting, August Longbottom ripped into the old headmaster for employing such a dangerous fiend and stashing a invaluable item within the school. Neville winced at the thought and was glad that he got to avoid that conversation. The good news seemed to be though that he got to stay enrolled at Hogwarts despite the snafu.

Once that was over and finished, Neville went on with his life. He tried to keep his lid on, but the nightmares seemed to reoccur every so often. The light glinting off of wet fangs and amber eyes. He couldn't talk about it with his grandmother, for several reasons, one being who she was. But more importantly, Dumbledore had conveniently left out the information concerning Harry Potter's involvement and thus the secrecy spell stopped Neville from talking about his nightmares. Not exactly playing out as Dumbledore had made it seem it would.

But to continue on with his miserable summer, he had yet to receive a single letter from any one of his friends. Heck, even at this point, he would accept something from someone like Seamus Finnigan or Dean Thomas. Every letter he sent out never returned so he assumed that they were delivered as usual, but there was never any response. He thought about flooing over to Ron's place, but his grandmother was a real stickler about invitation and since he had none, he could not go.

The loneliness that he experienced on the train seemed to grow within him, and even his garden could seem to alleviate the tension he felt. He had finished all of his homework already, and there was nothing to do that took large amounts of time in the garden, so Neville just moped around the house driving his grandmother bonkers with his constant sighing.

This day, Neville just sat in a large window seat in the family study and library, looking out onto the grounds of his home. He rested his head against the window pain, wallowing his own self-pity. Maybe he didn't have any real friends. Maybe it was all a joke that everyone played on him, but now that he was out of sight and out of mind, they just ignored him. That made the sting of his loss of friendship with Harry and Theo even worse. Maybe they were the only ones who really cared about him as a person rather than a famous figure or someone to go on adventures and solve mysteries with.

But his thoughts were soon disturbed by a sharp knocking on the study doors. His brow furrowed in confusion at the strange sound, as his grandmother did not believe in knocking on any door within _her_ house. Even Uncle Algie did not care for such courtesies much. Confused, Neville rose form his chair and made his way over to the door, opening it wide to find the one person he least expected to find in his house.

Theodore Nott. Rather, a very angry Theodore Nott.

"T-Theo. What are you – " Neville sputtered.

"I am here by invitation of your grandmother as it seems I had to write her in order to receive a letter from the great House of Longbottom. Seems that her grandson was moping around the house in a pitiful state, and when I asked if I could come see you, she eagerly accepted. Strange that she answers my letters, when you do not. Do you not find that strange Mr. Longbottom?"

Whilst speaking, Nott pressed Neville into the study and into a nearby chair. He closed the door behind him, knowing that if he was going to pick a fight, it was always better to do so behind closed doors lest he give a poor impression upon the Matron of the house. But Neville quickly got over his surprise of the Slytherin barging through his house.

"Not answering letters? I have yet to receive one of your mythical letters Nott. Maybe if you actually sent one, I might have even answered!"

"You mean answered in the same fashion that you did for the last two weeks of Hogwarts where Harry and myself were concerned? The same way that you ignored the both of us as we worried our heads of over you? I assume you would put as much diligence into your responses as you do your friendships." Nott sneered.

Neville had the decency to at least look ashamed but it didn't last long. "You have no clue Nott. You have no idea what is going on."

"Oh I don't do I?" Theo sat in a chair, but only taking up the edge of the seat. "So I don't know how both Harry and I risked our necks to come rescue you from Quirrel? So I don't know how in the midst of it, Harry transformed into his wolf form because it just happened to fall on a night of the full moon? I don't know how you watched the wolf rip apart the man who kidnapped you so that you could be safe? I don't know how in the matter of moments, you decided to turn away from the one person who really desired to be your friend for the sake of you, not the titles or fame?"

"I guess I also don't know that it broke Harry to watch you ignore him completely and only see him in fear. I guess I don't know that this whole summer, Harry has barely left his room let alone his bed. I guess I don't know that Harry suffers nightmares every night about what he could have done to you. I guess I don't know that your stupidity is killing him."

"Harry had been the one person who has been there for you. Sure, he cannot claim that he was your first friend or even the smartest like your pathetic excuses you call friends from Gryffindor. But he wasn't your friend because you gave him something. It wasn't about the fame or the money. It wasn't because you saved his life from some troll. He just wanted to be friends with the only other weird kid who liked plants as much as he does. He wanted to be friends with 'Just Neville', nothing more. And you threw that all away for nothing."

"Well if he was such a good friend," Neville tried to counter, "why didn't he tell me before that he was a werewolf?"

"Because you sodding idiot," Theo barked as he threw his hands up in exasperation, "Harry hasn't _told_ anyone. I only know because at one point I tried to force a silver ring onto his hand which could have hurt him. The twins know about him because they were too nosey for their own good. Harry doesn't want people to know because of exactly how you are acting right now."

"Harry," Theo huffed, quieting down almost defeated, "Harry hasn't exactly had the best life. From what he has told me, he has been a werewolf almost his entire life. He doesn't remember a time when he wasn't a wolf. He grew up in constant fear of who he was. That is why he is so shy. He doesn't want people to get close because he is afraid of hurting them. So his first real friend in his entire life was some kid named Neville Longbottom. And that friend abandoned him at the first sign of trouble."

Both boys fell into an uncomfortable silence. Theo lost all of his built up adrenaline, and started to feel tired. He wanted to yell at Neville more for being a right prat, but didn't have the energy. Neville on the other hand was starting to feel like a right prat. Theo had a point, Harry had been there for him whenever he needed it yet when Harry needed him, he disappeared.

It made him think back to the conversation with Wayne Hopkins back when Harry was in the infirmary after the Malfoy incident. He made promise to be there and protect Harry, and he had failed it spectacularly. Sure, Hopkins was not really in the picture anymore, having quickly fallen off the face of the earth when it came to his friendship with Harry despite being roommates with him. But that didn't excuse Neville one bit. He still should have been there but he hadn't been.

The Gryffindor dropped his head into his hands, ashamed about he had been acting. Theo just shook his head as he really didn't have anything else to say on the matter. He was tired of watching his best friend deal with the fall out of Neville's decision and not being able to do a thing about it. If Neville wasn't able to come around and actually get things right with Harry, he would make it his mission to make Neville's life as miserable as possible. He might even allow the twins in on the planning and execution of such misery making.

"Look Neville. I have grown to care about Harry a lot. I don't like seeing him hurt just because you can't get over the fact that he is possibly dangerous for no more than twenty four hours a month. I get that it must have been a terrifying experience for you, one that I hope you and I never have to duplicate. But the rest of the month, Harry is just Harry."

"You have one chance to make this right. I am going to encourage you to write a very long apologetic letter to Harry. Maybe have a house elf deliver it since you are having some weird trouble with your letters. But this is your last chance. If you ever abandon Harry again, I will not be so kind as show up at your house to have a few words."

With the final word, Theodore Nott exited the room leaving Neville alone in solitude. Neville had no aspirations of following after him, perfectly content in wallowing in self-pity.

Over the course of a few hours, Neville didn't move once. He just sat there as the thoughts of the last few months circled around his head. He was definitely acting a prat, and he needed to change that soon. Maybe he needed to take Theo's advice and write a very long letter to Harry. Even if it wouldn't fix anything, he at least needed to try.

* * *

 _July 30_ _th_ _, 1992_

 _Thursday_

Nine p.m. Late enough at night for Neville to know that everything had gone to shit. It was possibly the worst day of his entire life. Everything that he had hoped for that day went up in flames faster than dry underbrush.

Today was the day he turned twelve. Sure, it wasn't a particularly special birthday in terms of being a wizard, but it was still his birthday. Yet he did not receive a single birthday wish. No letters from friends. No strange trinkets and toys from family. Nothing. The day passed on as if he never existed. And strangely, Neville felt like he deserved it.

It started with Harry Potter. After having a talk with Theo, Neville set out to make things right with the young werewolf. He knew he was a prat, and he had to fix it. But after writing a very long apology to the Hufflepuff, he only received silence. Nothing. No return letters. No response saying that he was either forgiven or that Harry never wanted to see him again. There was nothing. A rebuke would have been better than silence.

Then there were his other friends. Ron, Hermione, and Theo. None of them sent letters to him. Theo had a reason to be angry with him, but the other two seemed a bit off. When he left them at King's Crossing for the summer, they had promised to write all the time. But no matter how much Neville wrote to them and invited them over, they acted as if he never existed. So when he invited them to his home for his birthday celebration, he never got a response.

Then there was his grandmother. Augusta was never the cuddliest of women, but Neville at least knew that she loved him and had never ignored him on his birthday before. But she was called away early in the day for some Wizenmagot meeting and hadn't returned. She was even gone before Neville woke up, and he was only informed of her absence because of a House Elf. So that naturally led to him spending his birthday in complete solitude.

It was very clever, the way fate had punished him for abandoning Harry. That could be the only explanation. It made him feel right sorry for himself and rather ashamed of what he had done. He had ignored Harry, so he deserved to be ignored by the world. So he had decided to wallow in front of the fire in the sitting room, not moving for hours.

By the time the clock struck nine, he had been there for almost five hours, unmoving. He wouldn't even notice the plate of food that the House Elf brought him around supper time. He just didn't have the will and found himself too lost in thought to care about the mundane task of eating. Self-pity was never a good source of activity to bring on an appetite.

But at the finish of the nine o'clock chime on an old grandfather clock, the fire place roared to life in bright green flame. The rigid and stern frame of Augusta Longbottom stepped past the grate of the fireplace, a scowl marking her face. But even with her appearance, Neville didn't make a single move. He barely even blinked at the intensity of light produced by the fire.

Augusta was quite surprised at the listlessness of her grandson. She had noticed that he was slowly retreating into himself as summer grew longer, but to see him so absent that he didn't take notice of her entrance was concerning. Even when troubled he would always have the proper manners and greet her. Had it been earlier in the summer, she would have hazard to guess that he was tired at the late hour, but now… she needed to do something.

She summoned the Elf for tea and for it to take her handbag, hat, and cloak. Taking a seat across from Neville, she waited silently for the requested tea and watched the motionless boy in front of her. The House Elf quickly popped back in with her preferred tea, which she set to stirring. Tapping the stirring spoon on the side of the cup, she set it aside to take a sip of the brewed liquid. This was the moment that Neville decided to speak up.

"I don't want to go back to Hogwarts."

Augusta froze in that moment. She certainly did not expect to hear that come from her grandson's mouth. "Excuse me? Would you mind repeating yourself?"

Neville moved his head down low, avoiding eye contact with the stern old witch. "I don't want to go back to Hogwarts."

Augusta's eyes darkened. This was not going to be an easy conversation. She could easily make it a non-factor, but she needed to figure out why Neville was acting so peculiarly. "And why, pray tell, do you not want to go back?"

Neville sighed. He had thought long and hard about it over the last few hours and it seemed like the best option. "I have no reason to go back. I am no better than a friendless squib. Squibs don't deserve to go to Hogwarts."

Augusta sat her teacup down on the nearby end table and stared intently at her grandson. "Would you care to explain yourself better than that drivel?"

Neville, with a bit of hesitation, launched into all of his worries. How he had noticed that his practical work was suffering because it seemed his wand wouldn't work for him. He was only passing his classes because he could do theory all right, though that was only due to help from Harry, Theo and Hermione. That brought him to the point where he had no friends anymore. No one was writing to him, no one read his letters, no one acknowledged his birthday. He even went into how he had betrayed and abandoned Harry after finding out his darkest secret due to fear. He wanted to fix it but Harry never responded to his apology.

As he finished, the room sank into an uncomfortable silence. He really did not want to leave Hogwarts for good, but he had no real reason to attend. He couldn't do magic and he had no friends to make it worth it. It was just the harsh reality that he needed to deal with, whether he liked it or not. Augusta though, seemed to have other plans in mind.

"I am going to start from the beginning, as that is a good enough spot to start from. It is clear that maybe your wand is not good enough for you, and I was foolish to think that you could handle your father's wand. On our next trip to Diagon Alley, we shall be getting you a new wand and seeing if it works any better for you. I refuse to consider my only grandson being a squib, as a squib cannot defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. My ambition for you to be like Frank was clearly misplaced."

Neville gawked. Some of that had sounded like an apology, which was so unlike his grandmother, but the other part sounded much more like disappointment which was more in line with her character.

"Secondly, while I do not have an excuse for that Weasley boy or Granger girl, I completely understand how your actions have driven away both young Mr. Nott and Mr. Potter. You must suffer the consequences of your actions, and I will not fix it for you. As for missing your birthday, I shall admit that I let business get in the way of family and that is my mistake. Tomorrow I shall try to rectify it and make amends. I cannot do anything about it now, but I will do so when neither of are so tired."

"But I shall not hear about you wanting to avoid Hogwarts. You will go, you will succeed, and you will not consider yourself so worthlessly any longer. Do I make myself clear young man?"

Neville nodded, but did not have any heart in it. While it was nice to hear his grandmother's apologies, there was still a sting in her words. But he was quickly saved by a the loud pop of a House Elf, and the bickering of two elves. He looked over to see one House Elf that most assuredly did not belong to House Longbottom. Compared to the neatly dressed Longbottom elf, this new one was dressed in a worn out pillow case and a tea cozy. He was struggling to get away but the Longbottom elf had a firm grasp on the intruder's arm.

"Sorry to disturbs you miss. But Roorey found this elf sneakings about the manor and Mastor Neville's room."

The new elf struggled hard against Roorey, but with a snap of his finger, the Longbottom elf constricted the rogue in magical ropes that bound it to the ground. "Now yous are going to tell Mistress why yous here!"

Augusta stood up and made her way over to the rogue elf. The already comically large eyes became even larger, though in fear more than anything. While never a large woman, Augusta was certainly an imposing figure.

"Neville Longbottom must not go back to Hogwarts!" the elf quickly said. "There is a plot, and he is not safe."

"Whom do you belong elf? Who sent you?"

"Dobby was not sent. Dobby's master does not know he is here."

Augusta's eyes narrowed at the thought. While it was clear that elf magic was different from wizarding, it was always contained by their masters. To have a House Elf go against it's master and go rogue? This was extremely concerning. The old witch pulled her wand out and pointed it between the elf's eyes. "What was your plan to keep Neville away from Hogwarts?"

"Dobby has been keeping his letters. If Neville believed he had no friends, he would not want to go back – "

Before Dobby finished his explanation, Neville was out of his seat. He rushed towards Dobby, grabbed him by the pillow case and slammed him to the nearby wall. "You mean," Neville shouted, "that I have been miserable for the last two months because of you? I haven't been able to make amends because of you? You are the reason for all of this?"

Dobby whimpered, unsure of how to handle the anger that was directed his way. A boney hand rested upon Neville's shoulder, which distracted the boy enough to drop the rogue elf to the floor. "Neville, be calm. We shall settle this." Turning to the elf, Augusta glared, "You will first return any letter you have taken in your mad attempts. Am I clear?"

Dobby nodded fiercely. Lady Longbottom continued on, "Good. Then we are going to come to an understanding. If you _ever_ come near my grandson or affect his daily life ever again, I will make sure that your masters never find what is left of you. You have been warned once, you will not be warned again. Now go get those letters, and leave."

Roorey snapped his long fingers and the ropes that constricted around the other Elf disappeared. Dobby quickly made his way out of the room. Within seconds of Dobby making his vacancy, a large stack of letters bound by twine slammed to the floor out of thin air in front of Neville.

Neville looked over to his grandmother, and all the emotion built up over the last two months finally hit him. And so Neville broke down.


End file.
